Is Israel’s Blue and White party dipping into anti-Semitic tropes?

The Blue and White party is getting push-back after posting a campaign video that appears to accuse right-wing politicians of selling their loyalty for money.

By World Israel News Staff

Did the Blue and White party cross the line with its latest campaign video?

Israel’s Deputy Health Minister, Yaakov Litzman, criticized the video on Monday, which suggests that the right-wing bloc of parties will sign a declaration of support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in exchange for money and political promises.

“Lapid’s campaign of hatred and incitement is a new record of anti-Semitism,” said Litzman, who is head of the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) party, Agudat Israel, which is running in the elections as part of the United Torah Judaism alliance together with the Degel HaTorah party.

Litzman said the campaign ad crossed a red line and was “reminiscent of dark days in which Jews were presented as money-grubbers and were accused of controlling the public coffers.”

Aryeh Deri of another haredi party, Shas, posted a screenshot of the video on his Twitter feed, saying “Anti-Semitism, there’s no other word.”

Even members of Blue and White expressed reservations on Monday. Knesset Member Yoaz Hendel told Israel’s Channel 13 News, “I don’t like the video. My language is different.”

Blue and White’s Moshe Ya’alon told Israel Army radio, “It is not my style nor that of Benny Gantz,” adding, “We will find the way to clarify this between us.”

The video, which Blue and White co-leader Yair Lapid posted on Sunday, shows an imaginary group chat on WhatsApp (a popular messaging app).

The video refers to the pledge Likud candidates were asked to sign which stated that they would support only Benjamin Netanyahu for prime minister. News of that pledge broke on Sunday, and Likud acknowledged the accuracy of the report on Monday.

In the video, Likud member David Biton refers to that pledge while chatting with right-wing politicians outside of the Likud. He asks them to sign a similar statement, supporting “forever” Netanyahu as leader of the right – and also his immunity from prosecution no matter what the accusation may be.

In the ad, Bezalel Smotrich of the Union of the Right-wing Parties, immediately responds, “Friends, the prime minister is under pressure. We can raise the price!!$$”

Aryeh Deri of Shas then says, “You want me to sign? Send another trillion shekels to the yeshivas!”

Litzman says, “I want all the money that Israel has.”

The ad continues in that vein.