Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the comments of MK Orit Strook (Religious Zionism party) regarding the LGBTQ community. "MK Orit Strock's words are unacceptable to me and my friends in Likud. The coalition agreements do not allow LGBT people to be discriminated against or for their rights to receive services the same services as any citizen in Israel to be harmed," Netanyahu said. "The Likud will ensure that there will be no harm to LGBT people or the rights of any citizen in Israel," Netanyahu said. Netanyahu was responding to a statement by MK Strock during an interview with Kan Reshet Bet that doctors should not be forced to provide services which contradict their religious beliefs. "We need to stop treating the Jewish halakha as something of lesser value," Strook added. "The law book of a country expresses its moral code." Similarly, Religious Zionism party MK Simcha Rothman said when asked if a religious hotel owner could refuse to host a group of LGBTQ people: "If it goes against your beliefs, and it hurts your religious sentiments and it's your private hotel, then the answer is yes, that's the law." After the interview, Rothman wrote on Twitter: "Let's keep it simple. Freedom means that people can do things I don't like. Freedom of expression means you can say unkind things about religious people, Arabs or LGBT people. Freedom of occupation means that a person can also misbehave with customers, and to boycott them or not, and the clientele can choose to punish him or not. That's what freedom is. Shocking, right?" MK Mickey Levy (Yesh Atid) said in response: "It doesn't matter what Netanyahu says, only what he does. His complete surrender to the extremists within the framework of the coalition agreements will allow the racists and the homophobes o set the tone in the Ben-Gvir-Stro\ck. The disgusting and horrifying words of future-Minister Strook are just one expression of the darkness he is unleashing on this country with his own hands."
