Netanyahu with the congressmen
Netanyahu with the congressmenKobi Gideon, GPO

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly criticized Transportation Minister Bezalel Smotrich while speaking to US congressmen, distorting Smotrich's remarks on halakha (Jewish law) in the State of Israel.

During a speech in Jerusalem earlier this week, Smotrich had said that "we all want the State of Israel to follow the law of the Torah, we just can't because there are people who think differently and we need to get along with them."

Channel 12 presented footage from the prime minister’s remarks to 40 congressmen, all from the Democratic party, during which he said: “A member of our coalition, not from the Likud but from another party, has said that he would like Israel to be a halakhic state. Well, that is pure and utter nonsense."

“It’s pure BS,” Netanyahu continued, adding that “No one can attest to that more than the recently-appointed justice minister from the Likud” Amir Ohana, who presented a bill today “for universal adoption by parents regardless of gender.”

“Some halakhic state. This is ridiculous,” Netanyahu said.

נתניהו: ''מדינת הלכה? בלבולי מוח''באדיבות חדשות 12