Haaretz Publishes Anti-Chareidi Cartoon Regarding COVID-19 Spike: ‘We Need To Organize A Tish’

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — In the wake of the coronavirus spike in Israel over the last few days, the Haaretz newspaper published a vitriolic anti-chareidi cartoon depicting chareidi MKs Gafni Deri and Litzman responding to the situation by saying that “we need to organize a tish (gathering)”.

The caricatures of the chareidi MKs, which were reminiscent of anti-Semitic cartoons featuring Jews with long noses and angry faces, were widely criticized by MKs and by other journalists. It should be noted that the epicenter of the current spike is in Binyamina and Modiin, both towns which do not have chareidi populations.

MK Moshe Gafni said that the caricature reminded him of the anti-Semitism in the middle ages and was an attempt to refashion public opinion regarding the chareidim who are thankfully not part of the current spike in cases.

MK Litzman said that “the shameful caricature in Haaretz expressed the “spirit of the leader” -the reformist government of Liberman, Lapid and Bennett which excludes chareidim and harms Judaism and the Jewish tradition. This is the same atmosphere which encourages incitement and disparagement of chareidi Jews. Anti-semitism in 2021.”

MK Uri Maklev said that “unfortunately we see time and again people with a pathological hate who do not shy away from any means of inciting against the chareidi public. Despite everyone knowing that this is total lies and incitement, the platform which allows such incitement is no less culpable as the caricaturist is following their lead.”