Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday expelled an activist from his Likud party who had made ethnically derogatory remarks about the Holocaust. The incident occurred during protests against Israel’s ongoing judicial reform, which has widened political divisions in the nation and triggered sustained anti-government demonstrations for over eight months.

The party activist in question, Itzik Zarka, was captured on video cursing and spitting at demonstrators in the Northern District of Israel on Saturday. His remarks targeted European Ashkenazi Jewish victims of the Nazi Holocaust, stirring up historical tensions between them and Sephardic (or Mizrachi) Jews of Middle Eastern descent.

“It’s not for nothing that six million were killed,” Zarka is seen shouting. “I’m proud that six million of you were burned!”

Prime Minister Netanyahu stated that such behavior would not be tolerated within the Likud movement and promptly ordered Zarka’s expulsion.

Denying or celebrating the Holocaust is punishable by up to five years in prison under Israeli law.

Zarka later apologized for his words but claimed that he had been provoked, stating that his comments were “taken out of context”. Nevertheless, the incident highlighted the growing tensions surrounding the ongoing protests against the judicial overhaul.

The proposed judicial reforms have been met with criticism from those who fear they could undermine judicial independence, while proponents argue that the changes would promote the checks and balances of the constitutional framework.

The situation has brought tens of thousands of people to rally across the country, reflecting the gravity of the political situation and the public’s concern over the direction the nation is taking.