United Torah Judaism MK Yitzhak Pindrus sparked outrage Monday when a recording of him threatening the Supreme Court surfaced, earning the coalition's ire.
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Walla news reported on the incident, saying that the controversial remark was made during an Independence Day event held at the Nhora Yeshiva high school in Mevo Horon, in the Binyamin Regional Council.
In a recording of the event, Pindrus and Religious Zionist Party MK Simcha Rotman are heard during a debate on the integration of ultra-Orthodox and national-religious officials in key state roles, such as justices on the Supreme Court and ministers.
Pindrus said that he aspires to increase Torah studies in Israel rather than see the Haredim take on key roles in Israel's leadership.
"My role as MK is to reform the people of Israel by advancing Torah [studies] and not by through the Supreme Court," he said, adding, "You know what my dream is? To bring a D9 and blow up that building – not install judges there. That's my dream."
His remark evoked a similar contentious statement by former Habayit Hayehudi MK Moti Yogev, who in 2015 said he believed a D9 bulldozer "should raze the High Court of Justice" – a function performed by Israel's Supreme Court.
In another part of the panel, Rotman wondered whether Torah studies could coincide with being part of the workforce and with public office, to which Pindrus replied, "Being an MK is worse than being a plumber."
The blunt threat to Israel's judiciary met with immediate backlash from coalition members.
"Pindrus' dream is Israel's nightmare," Justice Minister Gideon Sa'ar tweeted. "I will now let you and whoever shares these dangerous fantasies a chance to make them come true."
Knesset Speaker Mickey Levy denounced "MK Pindrus' grave incitement. In a democracy, the Supreme Court and the judiciary hold a place of great respect and importance. To be clear: the Knesset over which I preside respects the Supreme Court and utterly denounced these remarks. It saddens me to hear a Knesset member say such things."
Former Chief Justice Dorit Beinisch told Walla she was shocked by Pindrus' words.
"It's outrageous," she said. "In days when we talk about incitement and hatred, for this to come from an MK who is supposed to be true to Israeli law? To see young students applaud this 'leader'? It's shocking and extremely serious. I expect the entire Israeli establishment to respond to this."
Rotman said, "My dream is to turn the Supreme Court into a court that no one wants to blow up because it won't weigh in on politics or try to impose the values and worldviews of the judges on the public. That's how you defuse the tensions between the authorities in Israel."
Labor MK Gilad Kariv, a Reform rabbi, decried Pindrus' remarks, saying the Haredi MK "has shown his violent and dangerous nature in a shocking and inciting statement against the Supreme Court.
"This is a threat to Israeli judges and any attempt to downplay the seriousness of this statement will fail. An individual with such dreams is unworthy of serving in the Knesset."
Meretz MK Moshe Raz said, "Pindrus' dream is the Israeli public's nightmare. The Supreme Court, even when we are as angry with it, still represents the legislature in Israel. Any harm to it harms Israel."
Labor MK Ram Shefa slammed the Haredi lawmaker's remarks, which he called "among the gravest and most despicable statements an MK has ever said. I urge him to take it back without delay.
"I pledge that, together with my fellow lawmakers, to fight to the bitter end in to preserve democracy and the institutions of government thanks to which we have built this great country. I expect the opposition to immediately condemn these remarks,"
Formed ahead of the 1992 elections, the Ashkenazi Haredi party United Torah Judaism is a list made up of ultra-Orthodox parties Agudat Israel and Degel HaTorah. Its members advocate increased use of halachic decrees in everyday life and traditionally refuse to take full ministerial positions in the government over their reluctance to appear as legitimizing a secular Jewish state.
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