MK Yaakov Asher (UTJ) has proposed a law, signed on to by other UTJ MKs Degel and Pindrus, that would make incitement against Haredim a criminal offense according to the racism law.
As reported by Kikar, the racism law, until now, has been directed to protect from incitement based on race, color, nationality, ethnicity, but "Haredi" never fit into any of those categories. Asher says because of that it has basically been open season on Haredim with incitement against Haredim going unchecked, because Haredim are not any different than anyone else from ethnic or race or color or nationality perspectives.
Because of that Asher has seen it necessary to add Haredim to the list of those protected against racism and incitement. It is time, MK Asher says, to put an end to the incitement against Haredim and set a red line - there is no other group in Israel incited against as much as the Haredi community. This law, Asher says, will clarify that the blood of Haredim is not hefker.
This is all nice and good, and maybe even somewhat necessary - the Haredi community seems to consider any criticism of it to be incitement and anti-haredi hatred, but there is definitely some, way more than there should be - but how can it possibly be enforced? Can anybody claim they are Haredi and call the police on someone or sue someone for incitement if they say something not ice about them? Only people wearing black hats? What would be the criteria for a female to say she is Haredi and incited against? As necessary and justified as this may be, how, in law, can they define who this applies to and to whom it does not?
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