Against the background of the uproar caused by Hanan Yuval when he refused to appear in the Knesset on Memorial Day for the fallen of the IDF, MK Dodi Amsalem caused a stir on the Internet himself, when he offered to invite the singer Kobi Peretz in his place.
Peretz, who did not plan to get caught up in the charged discussion, responded to the harassment he experienced in a long post he uploaded this evening (Sunday).
"I woke up this morning to a media storm and I suddenly find myself under attack on social media when brotherly people, Israelis like myself, those with whom I have never exchanged a word or spoken about them, participate in the celebration and call me a 'convicted criminal sitting in prison' and other nice words," he wrote.
"I want to make it clear, I am proud to be a symbol of a person who managed to build himself thanks to talent, diligence and hard work and to reach from a poverty stricken home to the top of Israeli music and on the other hand, to fall as hard as possible and pay the cruelest price that society can impose on someone - taking away his freedom. From the lowest place this, to grow back and be a symbol of rehabilitation and a return to a full and successful life," he wrote about the winding road he went through as someone who got into trouble with the law and even served a prison sentence.
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A post shared by Kobi Peretz - the official page (@kobi_peretz)
"It hurts me to read the comments that I usually don't give a place to, but it's hard for me to ignore," he wrote, "and when I read them, they bring me back to the years of the big break. I was then, thank God, one of the most successful singers in Israel. But I, Kobi Peretz from Kfar Shalem, I was never mainstream, I was never treated as a legitimate singer whose success came through merit."
"But she asked me, before prison, did anyone ever invite me to state events? To the Knesset? To the president's house? To memorial events? The most successful singer in Israel but to perform at a state event? I don't belong there, why? Because I'm Mizrahi, too rude, not full-eyed And fair-haired, the opposite of the beautiful Israeli, if you will, the opposite of Hanan Yuval," Peretz wrote from his heart.
"People like me until now have never had a place in the state days of the State of Israel because we still live according to racist stereotypes of what is Israeli in your eyes," he raged.
"Hanan Yuval is a wonderful singer and one of the most important creators in Israel. I am sorry that he chose to refuse to perform in the Israeli Knesset on the day holy to all of us - the day of remembrance for the martyrs of Israel. In my view, on the day of remembrance we all unite and put all our differences aside," he added.
MK Dodi Amsalem, photo: Oren Ben Hakon
"And there will be no doubt", he wanted to clarify towards the end of the long post what his opinion was about the words of Knesset member Amsalem.
"I am proud of Knesset member Dodi Amsalem who, to me, dares to defiantly expose all the injustices of this country. Laugh at him for being an offensive and disrespectful person. Sorry to tell you, this man manages to repeatedly touch all the sensitive points in society and unsettle many - why? Because he exposes the The truth and the truth, friends, hurts."
"Dear Uncle Amsalem, I love you," he wrote at the end, "I would be happy to sing to you and the entire Knesset of Israel whenever you want. For me it would be a huge honor and maybe also an opportunity to show my children that after everything their father went through, life took him to the highest place again And it is honorable that there is. In my opinion, this will be the most educational and valuable story that can be taught. Happy Adar month and only free love," he concluded.
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