Knesset Hopeful Sparks Outrage With Holocaust Comparison

Stark, who is sixth on the party's list for the upcoming October 27 election, also criticized Deputy Supreme Court President Noam Sohlberg and claimed that it is better to be a terrorist in Israel than a Haredi Jew. He argued that travel restrictions on yeshiva students who refuse military service prevent them from traveling abroad for matchmaking, turning them into criminals in the eyes of the authorities.

The remarks drew sharp condemnation from across the political spectrum. Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, invoking his father's survival of the Holocaust, emphasized that a strong army prevents such atrocities and accused Stark of encouraging draft evasion. Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Lieberman framed the issue as a choice between those who serve and draft dodgers, while Ofer Winter's Am Israel party called the comments a disgrace and urged the Prime Minister to condemn them.

The controversy comes amid heightened tensions, including a June court ruling against military exemptions for yeshiva students, increased arrests of draft evaders, and subsequent Haredi protests in Jerusalem and central Israel. In a separate development, United Torah Judaism lawmaker Yitzhak Pindrus and Shas party chair Aryeh Deri reportedly expressed regret over supporting Amir Ohana's appointment as Knesset speaker, calling it a desecration of God's name.