Asterisk contracts • attack against Shas's conversion broadcast

The election broadcast 'asterisk conversion', brought on by the Shas party, raises many comments - for and against.


The short video shows a bridal couple under the wedding canopy, where the bride – with a heavy Russian accent - presents the groom a gift received from Beitenu, in the form of a fax machine, the astonished groom asks her why a Fax at the canopy, and she replies, "To get approval," she dials on the machine Asterisk conversion and immediately recives by fax a certificate of conversion, the surprised groom asks the bride, "you're not Jewish?" And she replies: "Now I am."


The broadcast, which comes to express the contempt for the conversion process, and the ease with which Yisrael Beiteinu wants to issue certificates - provoked angry responses, respondents called it a cynical, racist and abusive broadcast, which violates the Russian public and the convert public in Israel.

MK Nino Avsdazha, head of the immigrants in the Avodah Party, filed a complaint with the Election Committee, which raised a demand to reject the ad, saying, "presenting the immigrant public with ridicule and mocking."


Shas were not moved, the party's propaganda headquarters responded to the demand to reject the ad: "Not a bad word was said about anyone in the broadcast. Intermarriage and fictitious conversions can lead to assimilation and loss of Jewish identity of the state. A country fighting against assimilation abroad cannot allow assimilation in its midst.

"This broadcast is intended to illustrate the unbearable ease with which one can perform intermarriages under the law Lieberman - leader of the Likud Beitenu is trying to promote. Due to the positive responses we received from former Likud voters we will continue to transmit the broadcast tomorrow.

"This broadcast is also intended to illustrate the danger of the formation of a coalition of Likud - Beitenu - Lapid - Livni, Likud - Lapid coalition style 2003, which will lead - as then – to damage of the Jewish identity of the state."

Shas's Judaism is not our Judaism
Knesset Member Rabbi Chaim Amsalem, chairman of the Am Shalem party, reacted to the 'ugly' campaign – in his eyes: Shas's campaign against the converts is racist, and is a direct continuation to the ugly sectarian campaign and their party. Instead of helping the descendants of Jewish immigrants from the "seed of Israel" to return to the fold, and return them to Israel, Shas prefers to reject someone who has strung his fate with Israel, and often gives his soul to the IDF.


"When they talk about 'conversion fax', they forget that only a short time ago, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef trained, rightly so, the conversion of thousands of soldiers who were converted to Judaism by the Chief Rabbinate. Am Shalem party carries the banner of the obligation to solve the problem of 400 thousand immigrants from the seed of Israel, and bring them closer to conversion.

Yesh Atid candidate, Shai Piron, also a kippa wearer, who holds the title 'rabbi', wrote about it on his Facebook page: "The Shas election broadcast, has humiliated hundreds of thousands of immigrants from the former USSR; it is an expression of dark racist Judaism, abusive and invasive." Piron continued: "After trying to gather votes with the recovery of the ethnic demon - and failed, Shas decided there to abuse the immigrants, Shas's Judaism is not our Judaism."

The head of his party, Yair Lapid, commented: "'Shas's ridiculous wedding broadcast on TV yesterday - is a perfect example of the dark Judaism which preaches hatred. How dare they insult the immigrants from the former USSR? How do those who do not serve in the army dare to slander those whose children enlist in the IDF in high percentages and protect lives? How have those who connected idle sitting to religion dare to harm Israeli civilians who work hard and their tax money funds the yeshiva students? This is not Judaism; it is simple racism and Yesh Atid will fight against any attempt to harm immigrants. They are our brothers.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!