Sabra Supermoneyo video game vitriol

A new adaptation of beloved video game Super Mario, featuring Finance Minister Yair Lapid as the princess-seeking plumber, sparked a minor Internet scandal.

The game, Supermoneyo, is a takeoff on the Nintendo classic, but instead of Mario crushing turtles and snails while collecting coins and power-ups, the brief platformer allows you to control the freshman politician famous for asking “where is the money?” as he collects Israeli currency while jumping on and crushing the likenesses of various ultra-Orthodox MKs.

Tel Aviv-based game developer Evyatar Amitay said he got the idea after watching Lapid’s recent Knesset shouting match with politicians from the religious parties over the state budget.

The game caused a firestorm of online protest and commentary from the ultra-Orthodox public after popular news site Walla posted an article about it Thursday on its Facebook page, along with the caption “Dear kids, help Yair Lapid find the money and quash the Orthodox.”

Commentators said the story incited hatred of the ultra-Orthodox public by depicting them as villains.

Amitay told Walla that he believed that “the ultra-Orthodox money should go back to the state” and clarified that he created the game by himself with no connection to Lapid.

The finance minister and the Netanyahu government are currently preparing the state budget for the year, which is set to drastically change funding for various ultra-Orthodox institutions. Due to the strength of Lapid’s Yesh Atid party as well as the Jewish Home, headed by Naftali Bennett, for the first time in decades the ultra-Orthodox parties are in the opposition.