Orthodox Candidate Sparks Outrage With Holocaust Comparison
Translated & summarized from i24NEWS French by baba
Eliakim Stark, an ultra-Orthodox candidate for United Torah Judaism, has caused a major controversy by comparing the situation of some Orthodox Jews to the Holocaust. He cited restrictions on young men refusing military service and claimed terrorists are treated better than draft refusers. The remarks were condemned by opposition leaders and figures on the right, including Ofer Winter and Avigdor Liberman. Fellow party member Israël Eichler also voiced fears about future Orthodox participation in elections.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Orthodox candidate Eliakim Stark compared the situation of some Orthodox Jews to the Holocaust.
- Stark cited restrictions on young men refusing military service as a reason for his comparison.
- He also claimed terrorists receive better social treatment than draft-refusing Orthodox Jews.
- Stark's remarks were condemned by opposition figures and right-wing politicians Ofer Winter and Avigdor Liberman.
- Party member Israël Eichler expressed fears about future Orthodox participation in elections.
Eliakim Stark, a candidate for the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party, has ignited a fierce controversy with remarks made at an election meeting in Beit Shemesh. Stark, 34, who is sixth on his party's list, compared the current situation of some ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel to that of Jews during the Holocaust. He cited restrictions faced by young men who refuse military service, including difficulties in traveling abroad for arranged marriages due to potential arrest at the airport if they are subject to mobilization orders. "I had imposed on myself not to speak of the Shoah during the first years, but I have no other definition. Our situation is approaching what happened during the Shoah. It reminds me of our grandparents' stories," Stark stated.
Stark also criticized Noam Sohlberg, Vice President of the Supreme Court and President of the Central Election Commission, accusing him of targeting the Orthodox community to assert his authority. The candidate further claimed that in Israel, "it is better to be a terrorist" than an Orthodox Jew who refuses conscription, suggesting that terrorists' families receive more social benefits than those of draft refusers.
Stark, a member of the Belz Hasidic community, is slated to replace Israël Eichler in the Knesset. Eichler, a long-time representative of the community within United Torah Judaism, also made alarming statements at the same rally, expressing fears that the upcoming elections might be the last in which Orthodox citizens are permitted to participate.
The remarks drew sharp condemnation from opposition figures and even from the right. Ofer Winter, head of the new Amkha Israel party, which supports Benjamin Netanyahu but advocates for Orthodox conscription, called Stark's comments "a disgrace for every Israeli and every Jew" and criticized the Prime Minister's silence on anti-IDF rhetoric. Avigdor Liberman, president of Yisrael Beiteinu, described the statements as "horrifying," accusing Stark of equating draft refusers with Holocaust victims and portraying terrorists as better treated than Orthodox Jews.
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