Yisrael Beiteinu MK Slams Minister's Accent Mockery, Pledges Passport Reform
Translated & summarized from Vesty by baba
Oded Forer, a Yisrael Beiteinu MK, condemned Minister Amichai Chikli for mocking a Russian accent, calling it racist and out of touch. Forer promised to restore full foreign passports for immigrants and criticized the government's handling of telephone scams targeting the elderly. He also labeled the current government's Aliyah and Integration Ministry a failure and urged Russian-speaking citizens to vote in the upcoming October 27 elections to replace the "worst government in history."
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- MK Oded Forer condemned Minister Amichai Chikli for racist mockery of a Russian accent.
- Forer pledged to reinstate full foreign passports for all new immigrants.
- He criticized the government's inaction against telephone scams targeting the elderly.
- Forer called the current Ministry of Aliyah and Integration a "complete failure."
- He urged Russian-speaking citizens to vote in the October 27 elections.
- Forer described the upcoming election as a battle between draft dodgers and taxpayers.
Oded Forer, a Member of Knesset for the Yisrael Beiteinu party, criticized Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli for mocking a Russian accent during a live broadcast. Forer, who has served in the Knesset for 11 years and previously chaired the Committee on Immigration and Integration, stated that Chikli's actions were racist and demonstrated how out of touch the current coalition ministers are. He highlighted that over a million Russian-speaking citizens live in Israel, and many soldiers fighting on the front lines have Russian, French, or South American accents.
Forer also pledged to reinstate full foreign passports for new immigrants, a law he initiated in 2017 that was later repealed. He described the current practice of issuing limited-use travel documents as discriminatory, preventing athletes from competing internationally and professionals from working globally. Forer asserted that every immigrant who has obtained citizenship and an identity card is a "first-class Jew" and deserves the same passport as all other citizens.
Additionally, Forer addressed the issue of telephone scams, often referred to as "Russian scams," and criticized the government's inaction. He recalled initiating a systematic fight against this phenomenon as head of the Aliyah committee, involving various government agencies. Forer argued that while new immigrants face intrusive checks on their funds, financial systems often ignore when scammers defraud elderly citizens. He emphasized the need for joint efforts by the police, banking supervision, and a large-scale public awareness campaign in Russian, noting that current awareness efforts in Hebrew are insufficient for those with limited Hebrew proficiency.
Forer further evaluated the current government's Ministry of Aliyah and Integration as a "complete failure," citing a diversion of funds from organizations supporting new immigrants to ultra-Orthodox foundations. Looking ahead to the upcoming elections on October 27, Forer framed the vote as a choice between draft dodgers and those who serve in the army and pay taxes. He urged the Russian-speaking community, who he stated vote at only 50% capacity, to turn out in large numbers to secure a victory and replace what he called the "worst government in the country's history."
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