Deputy Minister of Health Yaakov Litzman is under investigation for pressuring doctors to issue false psych reports to help Malka Leifer avoid extradition too Australia.
Today MK Uri Maklev and Jerusalem City Councilman Yossi Deutsch and MK Yisroel Eichler and DM Meir Porush made public statements in support of Litzman. I have no problem with that. There is a presumption of innocence and they can express support for him and give him encouraging words, if they wish to. Some of what they said though is interesting.
Maklev said it is a witch-hunt going on against DM Litzman already for many months and is looking to delegitimize the Haredi community. It bothers them that Litzman's door is open before anybody who needs help... this campaign against the Haredi community and Litzman, to turn helping the public into guilt...
Deutsch said that he strengthens and encourages Rav Litzman who is going through a difficult time right now from miserly people who hate the Haredim, how fortunate is Litzman for being attacked for helping the needy, and we are confident that you did nothing wrong..
Eichler said I strengthen and encourage Rav Litzman and promise you that he is clean with no stains. We have arrived at a crazy situation and it makes no sense that a public figure would be sent to help people and cannot do his work..
Porush said in the name of the entire Haredi Judaism I want to express support for our friend Rav Litzman. How fortunate are you for being attacked for helping the needy.
All those words of encouragement and stating their belief in his innocence are fine. I have no problem with that. The interesting part I find is what they each said - he is attacked for helping the needy, he just wants to help those in need but cannot do his work, helping the needy is turned into guilt.
So he did help Malka Leifer?
It is wonderful to help those in need of government assistance and help ease bureaucracy when possible, but to help an alleged molester, charged with very serious crimes, by, allegedly, pressuring doctors to falsify documents - that is not exactly the type of "helping those in need" that is deserving of praise. I am not saying he did it, but they are referring to the accusations, and they are not saying the accusations are false, but that he does not deserve to be punished for helping the needy. This type of helping the needy deserves to be punished, or at least investigated.
They would have done better by just offering the words of encouragement and their belief in his innocence and not implied that he tried to help her.
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