Transportation Minister and Cabinet Member Bezalel Smotrich (United Right) responded to a court ruling prohibiting gender segregation during a musical performance for the religious and haredi public in Afula.
"This is a drastic and outrageous judgment which adds to a series of rulings which has turned the courts into those who stand against Judaism and the religious public and seek to impose their distorted values on them and re-educate them," Smotrich said.
According to Smotrich, the cancellation of the concert (following the court ruling) is "stealing from the religious public in the city, which seeks to enjoy the public space and budget in a way that aligns with its values and outlook. Tell us again about religious coercion."
Smotrich criticized Prime Minister Netanyahu: "If only I could expect the prime minister to come to the defense of the religious public and call on the Attorney General, whose people lead this fundamentalist secular coercion, to order. But right now he is busy looking for their mandates and has no time to deal with their plight."
''A stupid judicial system. Sorry that despite my position, I can't find a more refined word. A fundamentalist progressive idiocy. And since we're followers of this government, it won't help us to lay the responsibility on the legislators - a weak prime minister with 100 percent of this troll happening on his shift. Zero leadership. Zero governance. [Deputy Attorney Generall] Dina Zilber is the real prime minister."
"I urge all religious parties to announce to the prime minister now that they will enter his government after the elections in order to make the necessary legislative amendments to put an end to this secular coercion and allow the religious public to live by its faith," he emphasized.
Earlier on Sunday, Nazareth District Court Judge Jonathan Abraham ruled that any form of gender segregation would be banned during the performance of Hasidic singer Motti Steinmetz in Afula City Park on Wednesday this week.
The petition was filed by the Women's Lobby, which sought to prevent gender segregation in the event, despite the fact that the event is intended for the religious and haredi communities of the city who only attend events with separate seating..
The singer who was supposed to perform at the event - Motty Steinmetz - canceled the performance following the decision. The Afula municipality said in response to the court's decision: "Out of 360 summer events, we wanted to hold an event for the haredi public to celebrate and enjoy according to its customs. We are sorry that it's not possible. We will honor the court's decision."