Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman slams far-right MK Bezalel Smotrich for saying he wants the Israeli justice system to adhere to religious Jewish law.
Smotrich, an MK from the Union of Right-Wing Parties (URWP), is gunning to be named interim justice minister after Netanyahu fired Ayelet Shaked yesterday.
Earlier today, Smotrich drew ire for saying Israel should aspire to run itself as “in the days of King David,” saying his party “wants to restore the Torah justice system.”
“Listen to what Smotrich, a candidate for the justice minister post, has been saying,” Liberman tells party members at a faction meeting according to reports in Hebrew-language media.
“These are no longer comments coming from a delusional hilltop youth, but a statement of intent,” he says
Ultra-nationalist activists known as the “hilltop youth” are often accused of stoking violence against Palestinians and Israeli security forces in West Bank settlements. Smotrich is a hardline, pro-settlement MK who has previously defended the actions of West Bank extremists.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Monday, June 3, 2019
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
