Lapid rips into Netanyahu over ultra-Orthodox health violations

Opposition leader Yair Lapid lays into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for failing to enforce health violations in the ultra-Orthodox community. Netanyahu and the Haredi parties are close political allies.

“Because of his trial, Netanyahu is running away from a clash with the ultra-Orthodox parties. He needs them so he surrenders to them. That surrender harms everyone but first and foremost it harms the ultra-Orthodox population. The state has a responsibility to stand up against those who break the law,” says Lapid.

“If I were prime minister today, an educational institution that doesn’t abide by the rules wouldn’t get a 5,000 shekel fine, it would get a 100,000 shekel fine. The next step would be to remove their funding — not partial funding, all of it. An educational institution that doesn’t abide by the law wouldn’t get a cent from the state. It’s not against the ultra-Orthodox, it’s in favor of the ultra-Orthodox. It will save their lives.

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid speaking in the Knesset plenum, October 12, 2020. (Yaniv Nadav/Knesset spokesperson’s office)

“They are no longer a small group in Mea Shearim, it’s a million people and if the rules don’t apply to a million people then they don’t apply to anyone. Israel cannot afford that,” adds Lapid.