By David Isaac, World Israel News -
A campaign ad disseminated on WhatsApp by the right-wing religious party Otzma Yehudit has been widely condemned. Headlined “Watch: Lapid’s Dream Government.”
An attached video depicts a pretend WhatsApp group being formed between members of a new government led by Yair Lapid, Israel’s main opposition leader. He is joined by members of the Arab Joint List and left-wing politicians.
Notably, the ad includes politicians heretofore considered staunchly right-wing, such as Naftali Bennett and Gideon Saar, as they’ve been accused of a readiness to take their parties into a left-wing government.
In the fictitious conversation, one member of the group sends a picture of Hitler with a heart emoji. Another sends a picture of terrorist Samir Kuntar also with a heart emoji. There’s also the start of a Holocaust joke.
The group also includes a remark about canceling the Nation-State Law, which defines Israel as the state of the Jewish people and removing “Jewish soul” from the lyrics of Israel’s national anthem Hatikvah. One member, representing Meretz MK Tamar Zandberg, also suggests a day to honor deceased PLO leader Yasser Arafat, and a monthly visit to his grave.
In the ad, the group’s leader, Lapid, agrees to among other things, canceling the Law of Return for Jews to the State of Israel and instituting a day to honor the terror group Hamas.
Betzalel Smotrich, whose National Religious Party merged with Itamar Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit earlier this month, condemned the ad due to the Hitler and Holocaust reference.
“The video that was distributed tonight without our knowledge is very serious. As a third generation of survivors, the Holocaust is out of bounds. Period,” Smotrich said.
“We have a sharp argument with Bennett who refuses to commit to a right-wing government and seeks to form a government with Lapid and Merav Michaeli. The use of Hitler and the Holocaust is beyond the bounds of discourse. Period,” he added.
Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid said, “There is no limit to the abomination of Ben Gvir and Smotrich. Ghetto, Holocaust, Hitler, Samir Kuntar, everything is allowed in the name of racism and extremism. Shame also on Netanyahu who is doing everything to bring these extremists into the Knesset of Israel.”
Image: דוד דנברג, CC BY-SA 3.0 <;, via Wikimedia Commons
