Controversial Likud MK Oren Hazan sparked anger on Monday by calling wheelchair-bound Meretz MK Ilan Gilon "half a man" in the Knesset plenum. He spoke as a contentious bill to defund cultural organizations that undermine Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, incite violence, or vandalize national symbols passed its first reading in the Knesset.
Zionist Union MK Yehiel Bar called Hazan "a pimp for hatred and incitement" and criticized acting Knesset Speaker Meir Cohen (Yesh Atid) over the incident, saying Bar was not "in control of this animal [Hazan]. You don't say anything, you don't remove him [from the plenum]. How can you defend this zero?"
The Zionist Union faction called for Hazan to be suspended from the Knesset over the remark.
Zionist Union Chairman MK Yoel Hasson said Hazan had "crossed another line of callousness and insolence. There is no place for such behavior in the Knesset. We demand that the Likud party chairman [Benjamin Netanyahu] suspend MK Hazan from all parliamentary activity."
In a statement, Meretz said, "This gross, pathetic event toward Ilan Gilon – one of the friendliest, kindest people in the Knesset – only attests to the fact that the ruling party has reached the bottom of the barrel with the sycophantic [culture] loyalty law. We are loyal to culture and the culture of discussion and apostates to the censorship, vulgarity and sycophancy of the Likud, [Culture and Sport] Minister [Miri] Regev and MK Hazan."
In a statement, Hazan said, "During MK Gilon's remarks to the plenum, vicious insults were hurled at me as he called me ignorant and a golem. My measured response to his insults was that I would not relate to his remarks because he was half a person."
The so-called "culture loyalty" bill would allow the government to pull funding from organizations or events that deny Israel is a Jewish, democratic state; incite to racism, violence, or terrorism; express support for the armed struggle or acts of terrorism against Israel by an enemy state or a terrorist organization; mark Israel's Independence Day as a day of mourning; or deface the flag or any other state symbol in any way.
The bill effectively seeks to link cultural content and artistic expression to state funding, something previously blocked by the courts.
It also gives the Culture Ministry, rather than the Finance Ministry, the authority to deny funding to organizations deemed in violation of any of its criteria.
