Lawmakers slam deal giving Noam party say over Jewish identity

Lawmakers from the outgoing coalition are deploring a deal between presumed prime minister-to-be Benjamin Netanyahu and Avi Maoz of the Noam party, which gives the hardline anti-LGBT lawmaker control of a body on “Jewish identity” and Nativ, which manages immigration from the former Soviet Union.

“From now on, according to Netanyahu and Avi Maoz, there are Class A Jews and Class B Jews,” Yesh Atid says in a statement.

Labor MK Gilad Kariv, a Reform rabbi, calls the appointment a “slap in the face” to secular people, traditionalist Jews, women, and gays.

“MK Maoz will find that the majority of the public will stand up to his party’s attempts to proselytize and sow hatred,” Kariv tweets.