Jerusalem: Israel's future Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised that the right-wing coalition that will soon take power in Israel will not impose Jewish religious law on the country.
Mr Netanyahu said on Wednesday that the inclusion of far-right figures in the new government did not mean Israel was no longer a "country of laws". Concerns have been raised about Otzma Yehudite leader Itamar Ben-Gvir, who is set to become the country's minister of national security.
Mr. Ben-Gvir, a former member of the Religious Zionist party, has been charged with dozens of anti-Arab hate speeches. He also famously kept a portrait of terrorist Baruch Goldstein, who carried out the 1994 Cave of the Patriarchs massacre, in his living room. Mr. Ben-Gvir made this portrait before he entered politics in the mid-1990s.
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"The main policy or broad policy of the government is determined by the Likud party and, frankly, by me," Mr. Netanyahu said on Bari Weiss' "Common Sense" podcast. I believe I have very little influence on that.
Netanyahu said, "Talmudic law will not govern this Israel."
"We will not ban LGBT forums." To put it mildly, my opinion on that differs greatly from yours. We will remain a legal state." Bezalel Smotrich, the leader of religious Judaism, has previously said that he wants Israel to be governed by Jewish law.
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Mr. Smotrich previously expressed his desire to be appointed defense minister, but Mr. Netanyahu now insists that the position will remain within his Likud party.
"It's a red line," Netanyahu said. We have control over our defence. Defense isn't just what you think. It's not just about stopping the incoming missions. It is also making policy decisions that can be quite inflammatory. "I'm trying to avoid it."
Avi Maoz, an openly homophobic ultra-nationalist, was recently appointed by Mr Netanyahu as deputy minister in charge of a "Jewish identity" authority.
Mr Maoz is the leader of Noam, a religious-nationalist, anti-Arab and anti-LGBT party in Israel that advocates a strict interpretation of Jewish religious law.
Mr Maoz has previously said LGBT people are a threat to the family and wants to "canceled" Israel's gay pride parade.
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Outgoing Prime Minister Yair Lapid called Mr Netanyahu's alliance with Mr Maoz "completely insane".