Tuvia Smotrich, the brother of Finance Minister-designate Bezalel Smotrich, did not like the video published by Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu in which he condemned MK Orit Strock from Smotrich’s Religious Zionist Party.
Netanyahu had said that he renounced Strock's words about discrimination in the provision of medical services and clarified, "Under my tenure, LGBT people cannot be discriminated against or the rights of Israeli citizens be harmed. This has not happened in my 15 years as Prime Minister and it will not happen now."
Tuvia Smotrich responded to Netanyahu on his Twitter account and wrote, "As a matter of fact, you know that this will also not happen with 'Religious Zionism' under the leadership of Bezalel. It was expected that you would calm the waters by explaining the law without joining an orchestrated attack on your partners."
The elder Smotrich also wrote, "You would never have dared to come out against haredim in this manner. It's a shame that instead of outside attacks strengthening the partnership, they weaken it."
The uproar began after Strock told Reshet Bet radio in an interview that doctors should not be forced to provide services which contradict their religious beliefs “so long as there are enough other doctors who can provide services”.
"We need to stop treating the Jewish halakha as something of lesser value," Strock added. "The law book of a country expresses its moral code."
Strock later responded to the criticism hurled at her following her remarks regarding the provision of medical care to LGBT people, saying, "No one intends to discriminate against LGBT people because of their very identity or identification. Not in medical care, nor in any other service. LGBT people are human beings, and deserve respect and love like everyone else. I emphasized this in the interview, of course."
Strock stated that "it is not about the identity of the patient at all, but the essence of the treatment. If there is medical treatment that is against the halakha, an observant doctor will not be forced to give it, regardless of the patient's identity."