The deputy mayor of Or-Yehuda, Adv. Uzi Aharon, organised and arranged the Or-Yehuda burning of the New Testament in protest of missionaries distributing it. The deputy mayor is a member of a political ultraorthodox party, Shas, which proposes the anti-democratic Israeli Internet Censorship Bill (more); the bill offers us a new perspective on the legitimate discourse, as it attempts to force Shas’ opinions on the general public.

Meaning, the same political party which does not believe the expressing a different religious opinion is a legitimate act is the one trying to determine for us what content should we consume and operate the black-lists of internet websites.

This is not a political spin, nor is it something populistic act, it is a brief example for what is considered  illegitimate for our own minister of Telecommunication, Ariel Atias, is attempting, like the Hamas in Gaza, to fence our legitimate discourse.

The same political group behind the Or-Yehuda book burning is the group who wishes to censor the internet.

It is crucial to remember that the Or-Yehuda book burning is just the begining and that the minister of telecommunication is alreading attempting to block the expression of religious groups who have different points of view and had set up rotten deals like allowing billboards on the highways as long as they do not publish obsecne materials. The acts of a party who wishes to narrow the legitimate expression in Israel is a matter for our history books.

(also in Hebrew)