Journalist: 'Seculars anti-Semitic to religious'
'I am revolted by the anti-Semitic discourse promoted by seculars against ultra-Orthodox,' Shelly Yechimovitz says, one day after she joins Labor party
“I am revolted by the anti-Semitic discourse promoted by seculars against the ultra-Orthodox. Their public is an oppressed minority and not an
Yechimovitz announced her decision to abandon her career in journalism and venture into the tides of politics, printing a smile on the newly elected leader of the Labor party Amir Peretz, who was ditched by senior Labor MK Dalia Itzik, who defected to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s Kadima party.
“I spoke to religious politicians and we talked about what we can do together in the Knesset. We have a lot of things in common - such as the war over preserving Shabbat,” Yechimovitz said.
The journalist-turned-politician was disappointed by the poor coverage in the ultra-Orthodox press of her decision to join Labor.
Shinui responds to Yechimovitz
The secular Shinui party, know for its anti-religious rhetoric, reacted to Yechimovitz’s sympathy to the religious public with dismay.
“Why madam Yechimovitz has chosen to protect the group that is less useful to Israeli society, a group that willingly chose not to take part in the military, economic or academic struggle? The only explanation is low political standards of ingratiation and flattery of inappropriate coalitions, and political squint,” Shinui MK Ronny Brison said.
“The Labor party betrayed the secular public and taxpayers a long time ago. In a country where Israelis can only get married through rabbis and tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox are evading military service, and there is no public transportation in Shabbat, the secular are targeted, " MK Avraham Poraz of Shinui said.
"Amir Peretz is the father of alliances with the ultra-Orthodox,” he added.
