From the Liveblog of
Sunday, November 10, 2024
Lapid demands Knesset speaker condemn harassment of Yesh Atid MK by right-wing activists
Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid demands that Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana condemn harassment of his party’s lawmakers after a group of young men “cursed, threatened and blocked the path” of Yesh Atid MK Matti Sarfatti Harcavi in Tel Aviv following a demonstration on Saturday evening.
Writing to Ohana, Lapid decries “cases of violence and pursuit of Knesset members” and calls on the Likud legislator to “strongly condemn” such incidents.
Accusing the police of ignoring Harcavi’s request for intervention, Lapid notes that law enforcement took quick action in September when a woman allegedly threw sand at National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and demands that Ohana “direct the police to ensure the safety of Knesset members in the public sphere.”
A video of the incident posted online appeared to show a group of young men following Harcavi. They cursed the lawmaker, calling her a “whore” while singing a pro-Netanyahu song.
Speaking with Hebrew media after the incident, Harcavi said she had felt “abandoned” by the police.
She identified the leader of the group as right-wing activist Mordechai David, who was previously filmed following and yelling at fellow Yesh Atid MK Yorai Lahav-Hertzano and has been accused of harassing several others.
David was invited to the Knesset in September as a guest of Ben Gvir, who praised him for his activism, according to the Ynet news site.
שימו לב כיצד חבורת נערים מתעללת בחברת הכנסת מטי צרפתי הרכבי מיש עתיד
גידופים, קללות, חסימת נתיב הליכה וכו השוטרים לא עשו כלום למרות שאמרה להם שהיא ח״כית pic.twitter.com/SuO1qStrWi— לירי בורק שביט (@lirishavit) November 9, 2024
