The Chairman of the Constitution Committee, MK Simcha Rothman, commented at the beginning of the discussions today on the incident during which dozens of protesters chased after the heads of the "Rosh Yehudi" organization and Rabbi Yigal Levinstein.
"I want to express shock at the event that took place in Tel Aviv yesterday. Under Israeli flags and cries for democracy, equality, and liberalism, an event occurred that if it had happened in any other city in the world, we would have called it anti-Semitic," said Rothman. "When I personally experience violence, I mostly respond with silence and a kind of forgiveness. Sometimes yes, and sometimes no.
"In protests against public figures, sometimes boundaries are crossed, but it can be dealt with. I am confident in the high level of security. However, when such a thing happens to a social activist who has been active in the city for many years, a respected individual, it's something that should never happen in any way or form. It's an act of violence that completely stifles voices.
"It's not surprising that people who fear imaginary threats of dictatorship end up practicing dictatorship in reality. What is surprising is that people who jump to criticize every minor incident remain silent and overlook it. Meetings will be held on the matter to understand how the State of Israel allowed groups of thugs to harass citizens on the street because of their beliefs, religion, or opinions. This is not how a state governed by law operates, and this is not how a democratic and Jewish state operates."
