Quote of the Day

We will condition our entry into an upcoming government coalition on requiring Core Curriculum studies in the Haredi school systems.... We will pass a law making voting compulsory. Why? Because in the Haredi neighborhoods there is surprisingly 100% voter turnout. Whoever does not vote, without a reason that is justified, will be obligated to pay a fine.

  -- MK Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beyteynu)

This is interesting. It is also a change of direction. While some like to say Lieberman is anti-haredi, until now he has not really said or done anything that is truly anti-haredi. The draft law he refused to compromise on is not anti-haredi, even if the policy is one that the Haredi parties did not agree with. Just supporting a policy the Haredim don't support does not make on anti-haredi. We never really heard Lieberman say anti-haredi statements, definitely not the way Lapid sometimes does, and he never really promoted an anti-haredi agenda. Just the opposite - for 30 years in government he worked side by side in complete harmony with the haredi parties. I personally have rejected the calling of Lieberman as anti-haredi, despite his stance on the Draft Law and preventing the formation of a government that would have been wonderful for the Haredi community.

Yet with the statement above, Lieberman s moving far more into that territory of deserving the title of being anti-haredi. He never before required the core curriculum implementation, so doing so now is not a matter of consistent policy demands like the draft law was. This is a new demand, directly to oppose the Haredi parties. And the accusation about voting, is an age old anti-haredi accusation - with the implication of voting fraud, and an attempt to change election law just to counter the haredi vote.

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