Ashdod – Several haredi men verbally attacked MK Shimon Solomon (Yesh Atid) this week, using curses and racial epithets against the lawmaker who emigrated from Ethiopia.
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Solomon described the incident on Facebook, which occurred at a gas station on his way from the Knesset to his home in Ashdod.
According to the Yesh Atid MK, several men approached him and began cursing and making comments on what they called his party’s anti-haredi policies.
“Yesh Atid is not against haredim,” Solomon told them. “This is a democracy, and it is legitimate to disagree and try to convince one another.”
One of the haredi men responded: “Black slave, go back to Africa” and told him he should end up like Tommy Lapid, the former Justice Minister and Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid’s father, who is now deceased.
Solomon immigrated to Israel from the Tigray Region of Ethiopia in 1980, at age 12.
“These people were motivated by hate. They didn’t want to listen to me, just to condemn and curse. I left the place because I saw there is no point in continuing; it was like talking to a wall. I have no doubt that if I had stayed, they would have been physically violent,” Solomon wrote.
The Yesh Atid MK added that he finds it unfortunate that those who claim to be Torah scholars do not behave with the respect the Torah teaches. However, he wrote, he is sure those men do not represent the haredi public.
“Haredi leaders and rabbis cannot stand silent when faced with the increase of violence in haredi society. Silence will be understood as agreement,” Solomon said.
Content is provided courtesy of the Jerusalem Post
If it’s true (and it may be) it is very sad & disgusting.
That’s daas Torah so because it’s not political correct they should not say it????
they cannot be charedim – charedim opposed hisgarus b’umos – if they don’t believe him to be a Jew, they are not allowed to insult him – just wearing a black hat or growing long beard and payos doesn’t make you charedi –
He should not have posted this Chilul hashem on facebook, it hurts!
Unfortionately, Yidden just dont get along with each other. During the Chanukah years, the Yidden invited the Romans to free them from the subordination of the Greeks.
So the Romans were controling Eretz Yisroel for the next approx 170 years, but when the Romans realized how much infighting exists among the Yidden over hundreds of versions of Religion, they distroyed the Beis Hamikdosh and the rest is history.
Absolutely disgusting.
He’s not even a jew & he will tell us if to sit in yeshiva & learn or go to the IDF, what a shame
Disgusting behavior, but unfortunately not surprising. There is a belief held by some in the chareidi community that their desire to sit all day (and learn) is an entitlement, and any threat to this lifestyle must be attacked in any way possible. In the NY area, there are planeloads of kollelniks at any point in time who are making a “sivuv,” often on a quarterly basis, to collect for a couple of weeks so that they can return to Israel, sit, (and hopefully learn) and supplement their family’s income, as their kollel checks are no longer adequate (or perhaps not on time). To rise early and learn, and then go to work as most people do, is probably too challenging for many of them.
He is right….
It’s “legitimate to disagree” with other people. But not with Torah.
Solutions to their own hate is to be more monstrously indignant. It is amazing how someone who studies all day long at “Torah” can be so far removed from Hashem.
How disgusting to throw such epithets on this person. I am ashamed of our so called Chareidim–what will they answer the Ribbono Shel Olam after 120? I was shomer shabbos but I cursed and insulted a fellow human being.
it this is true it’s disgusting.
So every racial verbal assault is news.
They could make a news article of me every few months, and things like that probably happen millions of times a day.
Absolutely awful.
For all of u that are suggesting that the torah condones insulting or cursing based upon one’s skin color, please identify which torah you believe in. I don’t think its the one the Moses gave at Sinai. Do u perhaps identify with the Quran? That spews hatred……
The article states:
One of the haredi men responded: “Black slave, go back to Africa” …
What a chillul Hashem!
This makes me ashamed to be a “haredi” Jew — until I consider that such vile racism exists in almost all circles, and my models are my rebbes and roshei yeshivah who would NEVER say such things.
He’s not even a jew & he will tell us if to sit in yeshiva & learn or go to the IDF, what a shame
I am NOT excusing the deplorable behavior of these people.
BUT as a Hareidi (moderate) living in Jerusalem I can tell you that if this happened at a gas station, then the guys who cursed him out are not at all representative of Torah or Haredim or even Jews in particular.
These are simply the Shwarma-fressers who hang out at the gas station on the way out of Jerusalem.
By Halo Teiman.
They actually belong in the army and are never to be found near a Bais Medresh.
You will not find responsible haredi family men hanging in groups at a gas station or anywhere else. Say what you like about their beliefs, but they keep busy and generally speak respectfully.
Anyone can get upset and argue, but Haredim are not racists. They are actually quite welcoming.
They are afraid of mixing with the world, they believe in them power of Torah and rabbis, but other than the fringe elements, are not violent or racist.
I am not using the ‘not a proper Scotsman’ excuse- I am simply saying that a group if bums hanging out at a gas station does not a haredi make.
Just to add.
The general haredi attitude (ing themselves) is dismissive of the powers-that-be, somewhere between a gallows-humor attitude and a genuine belief that hashem will take care of us.
It is dismissive, but not vile and disrespectful.
I daven and learn and live among the most haredi people, and I see this attitude always.
Dismissive, but not hate-filled.
It was recently noted by a medical surgeon, that when people have surgery, they ALL LOOK THE SAME ON THE INSIDE! We are Hashem’s creations, we should behave with the dignity that requires.
Alterg is correct. We as orthodox jews oppose lapid and his klan of Torah haters. But its a chutzpah that this non jewish black guy trys to destroy our Torah. This phoney baloney of making hundred of thousands of non jewish russians as well as the Ethiopia crowd as so called jews is lunacy. They are not jews unless they convert according to halacha like every convert
Many on this post are simply naïve. First, they claim that the alleged perpetrators are not ultra-orthodox, as “such people don’t engage in that kind of conduct”. Unfortunately, such conduct in EY, or even in the USA, is not only limited to the ultra-orthodox, but also occurs among modern orthodox, conservative, reform, reconstructionist, etc. There are mean and disgusting people at all ends of the religious spectrum.