Shaffir silenced at election committee

The head of the Central Elections Committee, Supreme Court Judge Hanan Melczer, forced Democratic Union Knesset candidate Stav Shaffir to stop speaking in dramatic fashion at Wednesday’s hearing on disqualifying candidates for the September 17 election.

Shaffir came to speak about her party’s petition to disqualify the Otzma Yehudit list and its candidates Itamar Ben-Gvir, Baruch Marzel and Bentzi Gopstein.

“We are here to stop those trying to infiltrate the Knesset to destroy our democracy from within,” Shaffir said. “We will not let you kidnap Israeli democracy.”

After Otzma candidates repeatedly heckled Shaffir, she ran out of the time alotted to her. When Melczer asked her to finish and she refused, he ordered ushers to remove her from the lecturn.

“Madame leave the lecturn,” Melczer said repeatedly to Shaffir. 

Melczer stopped the ushers from removing Shaffir physically. But he did turn off her microphone.

Shaffir responded later that she would continue fighting Otzma Yehudit, despite the incident.

“The Kahanists will not silence me,” Shaffir said. “We have stopped being afraid of you. You can close our microphones, but no one will stop our struggle for Israeli democracy.”

Voting is expected later Wednesday on petitions to disqualify not only Otzma Yehudit and its candidates but also the Joint List and Blue and White.