Lapid panned for saying he ‘deserves raise’ for having to look at religious female minister
Yesh Atid leader blasted as misogynistic for joking he should be paid more for having to cast his eyes upon Religious Zionism’s Orit Strock; claims comment referred to her conduct, not looks
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid sparked controversy Sunday after saying he “deserve[s] a raise” for having to look at Settlements Minister Orit Strock from the Religious Zionism party.
Lapid made the comment as an offhanded aside while discussing his distaste for religious dogma in politics during an interview with The Dor Kahn Experience podcast.
“I look at Orit Strock — and just for that I deserve a raise — and God’s with her,” he said, referring to the Orthodox politician’s religious zeal. “She says, ‘You might have all sorts of opinions, but God’s with me.'”
The comment drew immediate backlash from right-wing MKs, who assailed Lapid’s comments as misogynistic.
Religious Zionism party leader Bezalel Smotrich castigated the opposition leader for his “misogynistic attack against Minister Strock — one of the best politicians Israel has known. Apologize.”
Otzma Yehudit party leader Itamar Ben Gvir tweeted: “It’s amazing how for years the ‘enlightened camp’ supported a vacuous, ignorant, and mainly foolish person like Yair Lapid, who objectifies women and harms them.”
Strock herself largely brushed the comment away, writing on X that “the women who carry the cost of war on their shoulders and in their hearts… deserve [a raise] the most.” The post was accompanied by a video of her speaking at a retreat for women whose loved ones were injured in the war over the past year.
Strock, a member of the national religious community who lives in an Israeli settlement inside Hebron, is one of just a handful of religious women to serve in the Knesset, where Haredi, or ultra-Orthodox, parties eschew female lawmakers.
She has raised hackles from the opposition for her hardline positions, including opposing ceasefire deals in Gaza to free hostages, saying doing so would throw war gains in the “trash.” She was also criticized as out of touch for claiming that some ministers were struggling to make ends meet.
“There’s more wisdom and humanity at the tip of Orit Strock’s headscarf than in Mr. Yair Lapid,” Education Minister Yoav Kisch said. “Shame on you, Lapid, and apologize.”
In response to the criticism, Lapid said, “Everyone understands that I was talking about her conduct, not her appearance. It’s a shame I didn’t see such outrage when Orit Strock said that the hostages should be abandoned and left to die. I’m waiting for Strock’s apology [about that].”
The Yesh Atid leader has faced accusations of being anti-religious for pushing policies that weaken ultra-Orthodox control of state institutions or opposing funding earmarked only for Haredi communities. He has been particularly vociferous in speaking out against efforts to enshrine ultra-Orthodox military draft exemption in law and against sweetheart political deals for Haredi political parties.
Lapid’s comments appeared to reference an interview given by Strock last week, in which she said victory over Hamas “is more important” than the return of all the hostages. Terror groups in the Gaza Strip are holding 59 hostages, including 58 of the 251 abducted by Hamas-led terrorists on October 7, 2023. They include the bodies of at least 35 confirmed dead by the IDF.
When pressed if she meant she would choose to abandon some of the hostages remaining in Gaza to achieve the strategic goal of destroying Hamas, Strock confirmed, “I am saying this.”
Hamas has so far released 30 hostages — 20 Israeli civilians, five soldiers, and five Thai nationals — and the bodies of eight slain Israeli captives during a ceasefire that began in January. The terror group freed 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November 2023, and four hostages were released before that in the early weeks of the war.
Eight hostages have been rescued from captivity by troops alive, and the bodies of 41 have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the Israeli military as they tried to escape their captors, and the body of a soldier who was killed in 2014.
The body of another soldier killed in 2014, Lt. Hadar Goldin, is still being held by Hamas, and is counted among the 59 hostages.
The Times of Israel Community.