Israel Matzav

Freedom of Speech, Israeli style, part 2

In Beit Shemesh in a few days there's a re-election, the result of a Supreme Court appeal after a very close election last October. The election pits a Haredi candidate against a secular candidate. The election is very hotly contested, and there are posters all over the city.

The poster above pictures Yair Lapid, the national leader of the secular Yesh Atid party. It says "This man is counting on your indifference. Come together and stand up for [your] lives." (The second sentence is a verse from the Purim Megilla to be read one week from tonight in Beit Shemesh and one week from tomorrow night in Jerusalem).

The poster - which was posted on the side of a private home - has gotten the Haredi candidate's campaign manager called in for questioning by the police, even though the posters are apparently being put up by individuals and not by any official campaign. The proposed charge is 'incitement.' (Link in Hebrew).

The Yesh Atid party filed a Supreme Court appeal against the sign, and Israeli Arab judge Salim Jubran has ordered it taken down, because it exceeds the permitted size for campaign signs. Yesh Atid admitted that the sign had been posted anonymously on a private home, but Jubran ruled that he has been in many election campaigns and posting oversized posters on private homes is forbidden.

Gotta love Israeli 'democracy'.....

Labels: Beit Shemesh, freedom of speech, Israeli democracy

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:35 AM