Female MK tells colleague to go back to modeling
In Twitter spat over funding for northern towns, Anat Berko takes jab at Orly Levy-Abekasis’s past career
Marissa Newman is The Times of Israel political correspondent.
A Twitter spat between two female lawmakers on budgeting for towns in northern Israel quickly went south on Thursday when one urged the other to return to modeling in order to stay “relevant.”
The argument began when MK Orly Levy-Abekasis took to social media to urge the coalition to include a development plan for towns in northern Israel in the two-year budget.
“Don’t believe them when they tell you that there is no money for the program to strengthen the north,” she wrote. “There is money. The government puts the periphery first before elections, and last after them.”
Levy-Abekasis, a lawyer by profession who left her Yisrael Beytenu party when it opted to join the coalition, later quoted Likud MK Anat Berko as having said, “Unfortunately, I visit hospitals in the north.”
“What is unfortunate? That you went there? Or what you saw there? If yes [to the latter], then turn to your friends in the coalition and demand funding!”
In a petty turn, Berko hit back by alluding to Levy-Abekasis’ past modeling career.
“Orly, you are better off focusing on more elegant ways to remain relevant,” she tweeted. “Modeling on the cover of ‘LaIsha’ [Magazine] is certainly one of them.”
Other MKs swiftly came to Levy-Abekasis’ defense and called Berko a chauvinist.
“There is nothing that makes me sadder than the chauvinism of women toward their peers or rivals,” tweeted Zionist Union MK Shelly Yachimovich. “Especially [toward] Orly Levy. A wonderful parliamentarian. Pretty, too. But why the hell is her beauty thrown around as an insult?”
Zionist Union MK Ksenia Svetlova similarly tweeted: “Madeleine Albright said: There’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help one another. This is sexism that is inappropriate, both as an MK and as a woman.”
From Berko’s own party, Likud MK Yehudah Glick also urged her to apologize.
“Anat, dear. That was out of place. You ought to apologize for that regrettable comment,” he tweeted.
