Lapid demands sanctions • "there will be a mass protest"

In an interview with "Meet the Press" on Channel 2 Finance Minister and chairman of Yesh Atid, Yair Lapid, addressed the law being formulated and turbulent demonstrations held over the weekend in the Haredi sector. "If there are no criminal sanctions - we will quit the government," Lapid said, adding: "We will not stay in the government that will not pass the burden of equality law, and the law should be real."

Lapid referred to the impact of the law on the Haredi public, and said that so far 90 % of the graduates of the military service in the Haredi sector integrated into the labor market. According to him, one on one conversations with young haredi people he meets, he is getting encouragement to support his way. "I wish that for every haredi youngster who meets me and tells me to continue this, we have to enter the job market, someone would give me one shekel."

MK Meir Porush rushed on Saturday night to comment on his words: "Lapid does not want Haredim in the army, he would rather see them in jail. Haredi Judaism will go out on a struggle and will continue to learn Torah even underground."

United Torah Judaism officials responded this evening to Lapid's words, and said that they consider criminal sanctions a red line, and that if things will be brought to the vote they will go in to Gedolei Yisroel to examine their continued proceedings with the Shaked Committee.

"One should remember," says Torah Judaism tonight, "how the demonstrations last week that were only the tip of the iceberg of the protest that would ensue from a law that includes criminal sanctions."

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!