Yisrael Beytenu accuses Shas MK of racism for calling Liberman ‘ignoramus from Moldova’

Yisrael Beytenu is accusing Shas MK Yinon Azoulay of racism for his remarks against the party’s chairman Avigdor Liberman during a back-and-forth at the Knesset.

Addressing the Knesset plenum earlier today, Liberman said the Vilna Gaon — a vaunted 18th century rabbi — studied math and astronomy in his spare time, in a rebuke of Haredi schools that don’t teach core subjects.

Firing back, Azoulay called Liberman “the ignoramus from Moldova,” where Liberman was born and grew up.

“You have no right to talk about the Vilna Gaon,” claimed Azoulay.

Following the exchange, Yisrael Beytenu MK Oded Forer urges Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana to remove Azoulay as chair of the Ethics Committee.

“These are severely racist comments,” Forer says. “This committee is meant to act against comments like these and condemn them.”