Otzma Yehudit Seeks To Have Yair Lapid Ousted From Knesset Race

The Otzma Yehudit party has turned to the Central Election Committee in the hope of disqualifying MK Yair Lapid, the number two man on the Blue & White party list, from the upcoming Knesset election. The move is in response to controversial and severely anti-chareidi video he released without first consulting with Blue & White election campaign officials, those very same officials explained.

Otzma Yehudit maintains “he demonized an entire sector that represents an integral part of Israeli society”.

The Shas party has already turned to the chairman of the Central Election Committee, Justice Chanan Meltzer, who has instructed Lapid to respond to his query and explain his actions by Wednesday, August 7, 2019 at noon. Shas maintains that Lapid’s video is “a racist message that seeks to damage the fabric of life”.

Deputy Minister Yaakov Litzman of the Yahadut Hatorah party calls the video “anti-Semitic”, reminding the public he was among the first to realize what Lapid’s agenda really is, placing him in cherem, unwilling to even exchange greetings in Knesset.

Filing the petition on behalf of the party is attorney Itamar Ben-Gvir, who holds the second slot on the party’s Knesset list. He states, “There is no doubt that the statements and videos disseminated by Lapid against the chareidi tzibur have crossed an acceptable red line some time ago, as they contain forbidden incitement to racism. We hope that the Central Election Committee will disqualify the candidacy of one who incites against a significant and inseparable community that is a part of the fabric of Israeli society and send a clear message that the prolonged incitement by Lapid against the chareidi public is unacceptable”.