The ultra-Orthodox sector is a "cancer within Israeli society," Israeli journalist and presenter Ron Koffman charged on his Tuesday morning radio show on 103FM.
Speaking on the state of Israeli society, Koffman said, "we must clean the place out from the inside, clean out all the Eichlers," referencing United Torah Judaism MK Yisrael Eichler.
"Thirteen percent of the population is a cancer within Israeli society," Koffman claimed.
ההסתה נמשכת רון קופמן עכשיו בשידור אומר על הציבור החרדי :"13 אחוז מהציבור הם הסרטן של הציבור"בושה וחרפה !!תלונה לרשות השניה פה https://t.co/Y607GHbZcj pic.twitter.com/6r3PYiXvHe
— די לצביעות (@Onetruth011) September 19, 2023
Former minister and Shas chairman Arye Deri attacked Koffman for his statement later on Tuesday, saying that "we must not let our differences derail our discourse to such harsh incitement."Calling a huge Jewish sector a cancer is a vile new low reminiscent of what our adversaries in the Diaspora said when depriving Jews of our humanity and shedding our blood."
Koffman: I do not have an issue with haredim
The radio presenter later retracted his statement live on air, explaining that he was only "quoting statements made by Eichler himself."
"Of course, I do not have an issue with haredim. The haredi leadership, however, I have a huge problem with."
Koffman said that he attacked Eichler for his comments last week in which he made false claims about the Holocaust, as well as several anti-Zionist remarks.
"An elected official who releases an antisemitic statement, as Eichler has done, needs to be evicted from the Knesset," Koffman argued.