During a Wednesday night meeting of the Labor and Welfare Committee, MK Yisrael Eichler (United Torah Judaism) warned that the incitement against haredim harms them when it comes to healthcare as well.
"There is a popular saying, 'Protect me from my friends, because from my enemies I already know to be careful.' This theory of 'concern for Jews' and their livelihoods has already been felt during the Cantonist period in Russia, and continued in the days of the Communists," Eichler said.
"They became convinced by malicious propaganda, that the Jews do not know how to educate their children to be productive and earn a livelihood, so we must ban them from religious studies and persecute them until they understand the light of the 'sun among the nations.'
"Those who worry about our children and starve them until they know to earn a livelihood are taking the same path," Eichler said. "Demographic studies have become a journey of delegitimization of the haredi mother and children. They are written against in all of the media outlets, and an unending hatred of them, by the eternal nation, is created. Families with large numbers of children are treated with scorn."
Eichler also noted that, "In his time, [former Prime Minister David] Ben-Gurion traveled to Be'er Sheva in order to grant an award to a woman who had given birth to her tenth child. How the media and comments treat families with large numbers of children, who save the Jewish nation from annihilation and brings the Jewish nation blessing and eternity."
"We want the law against racism to prevent racist discrimination which exists in every corner and a meeting with those who have been inciting. This exists even in hospitals. I am obviously not generalizing, most of them do amazing work. But sometimes a nurse or a doctor who heard incitement in the media comes to work and sees haredim and treats a haredi child who came to receive medical treatment - accordingly.
"This exists even in discrimination in public transportation. Who stands at the full bus stops? Look at all the bus stops. Where are there always not enough buses? In the haredi community"
Eichler also spoke about the Racism Law, which was approved in a preliminary reading: "This is the result of this incitement. Especially now, with the judicial reform, if they would not incite against haredim - I would believe them when they say that what matters to them is really who is in charge, the Knesset or Supreme Court. But when they direct their anger and disgust against the haredim, I understand that it is antisemitism. So I call on all the enlightened and accepting MKs to support this important law."