Moscow protests ultra-Orthodox MK’s anti-Russia sneer

The Russian Embassy in Israel expressed concern Wednesday over an ultra-Orthodox lawmaker who was overheard making disparaging remarks about the country.

At a Knesset session he chaired, MK Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism) complained that a tape of a speech he gave at a closed-door meeting was leaked to an Israeli news outlet. In his rant, he could he heard saying that Israel “is turning into Russia.”

Moscow’s Tel Aviv Embassy “notes with concern” Gafni’s remarks “on alleged restrictions in Russia for politicians to speak with their voters,” it said in a statement posted to its Facebook page. “It obviously reflects lack of the truth in his knowledge about [the] vibrant democracy developed in Russia since 1991.”

Decrying “false stereotypes” and “longstanding Russophobic propaganda,” the embassy went on to say that Gafni, who chairs the Knesset’s powerful Finance Committee, could visit Russia anytime to witness the “freedom level of political activity there.”

The fact that Gafni’s comments came in the middle of Russia’s presidential elections campaign is “especially fortunate,” the statement went on, as the MK could observe the 13 Russian polling stations at work in Israel for the 100,000 Russian citizens in Israel.

Incumbent Russian President Vladimir Putin is favored by polls to win another term, but critics accuse Moscow of intimidating and marginalizing other contestants.

According to a report by Freedom House published Tuesday, Russia is “not free” and has no free press.

“With loyalist security forces, a subservient judiciary, a controlled media environment, and a legislature consisting of a ruling party and pliable opposition groups, the Kremlin is able to manipulate elections and inhibit genuine opposition,” the think tank wrote.

Russian President Vladimir Putin votes at a polling station during parliamentary elections in Moscow on September 18, 2016. (AFP/Pool/Grigory Dukor)

In Gafni’s leaked tape, initially broadcast by the Orthodox website Kikar HaShabbat, the veteran lawmaker could be heard telling a conference of the United Hatzalah emergency service that he had reached an agreement with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to have hundreds of inspectors currently charged with detaining illegal migrants retrained to uphold the Shabbat closure of stores.

Hundreds of non-Jewish inspectors are being trained to enforce the closure of stores on the Jewish Sabbath, Gafni was heard saying. He also told his audience that he was satisfied that the so-called status quo on religion was tipping in favor of the ultra-Orthodox.

His comments elicited fierce criticism from non-Orthodox politicians.

Sue Surkes contributed to this report.