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United Torah Judaism Knesset member Yitzhak Pindrus made sharp remarks against the LGBT community, stating that it is "the most dangerous thing for Israel."
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"I believe that the most dangerous thing for Israel, even more than the Islamic State, Hezbollah and Hamas, is forbidden relationships because that’s what’s written in the Torah," he said Tuesday night in an interview with an Israeli television program.
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It is not the first time Yitzhak Pindrus has made such extreme remarks
(Photo: Kobe Koanx)
According to him, "It’s more dangerous than any weapon in the IDF. It’s the most dangerous thing for Israel because it is written that the land will vomit you out, you’ll be expelled, and so on. Therefore, in my line of thought, I need to prevent not only the Pride Parade but also to bring a stop to this whole community."
Yorai Lahav-Hertzano, Knesset member of the Yesh Atid party, called on the government's legal advisor, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, to open an investgaion into the comments. The LGBT Association joined the call: "Comparing the community to terrorist organizations. This is acute incitement to violence and bloodletting that could lead to injury to the body and soul."
Pindrus previously made similar extremist statements. About a year ago, he harshly criticized the Supreme Court in a conversation with ultra-Orthodox students, saying: "My dream is to bring a D9 [bulldozer] and blow this building up. It’s not a suitable place for my judges."
Two years ago, he stirred controversy by declaring that a female IDF soldier who converted to Judaism during her military service is, in his eyes, a "shikse" (a derogatory Yiddish term for a non-Jewish woman), despite the fact that the Chief Rabbinate of Israel recognizes her as Jewish.
Later, Pindrus apologized and stated that he did not say those things in a derogatory manner but only in their religious meaning, but then he reiterated that "these female soldiers aren’t Jewish."
In November 2022, following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s victory in the elections, Pindrus called the political leftists "beasts."
Yesh Atid Knesset member Meirav Cohen took to Twitter following Pindrus's remarks: "There’s a direct connection between Knesset member Pindrus’ nonsensical remarks against the LGBT community and his extreme statements against the Supreme Court. “
“Those who can’t connect the dots, and don’t understand the motivation behind the judicial overhaul and the reason why the ultra-Orthodox parties continue to push for it,” she added.