MK Yoni Meshriki of Shas attacked the persecution of Torah students in a heated speech in the Knesset plenary today (Wednesday).
""How can one turn Torah study in the State of Israel into a criminal offense and the guy who sits all day in front of the Gemara - into an enemy of the state? A Jewish state that sends Torah students to prison should ask itself - when did we lose our shame? If the State of Israel wants to remain a Jewish state, it should recognize the simple truth: without Torah we have no root. And without root - even the strongest tree falls.
""My call today is clear: Free the people of the Torah. Stop the campaign of persecution against them.".
Mashriki sharply attacked the Attorney General and the High Court: "You are not satisfied with the arrests and humiliation of Torah students, you are viciously and cruelly harming small children, violating their legitimate right to a roof over their heads, just as every citizen has. You are deepening the rift in the nation and harming the Jewish identity of the state.".
