UTJ’s Pindrus calls gay Knesset Speaker Ohana a 'desecration,' Aguda files ethics complaint

There is one thing that, in my opinion, was a mishap: at the beginning of the term, they voted for a Knesset Speaker, and I think there was a desecration of God's name in it," said Pindrus.

MK Yitzhak Pindrus, ranked third on the United Torah Judaism (UTJ) list, in an interview on the Al HaPerek podcast, criticized the election of Amir Ohana as Knesset Speaker because of his affiliation with the LGBT community.

Pindrus said, "There is one thing that, in my opinion, was a mishap: at the beginning of the term they voted for a Knesset Speaker, and I think there was a desecration of God's name in it. They say that he who takes counsel from the elders does not stumble. I was not a Member of Knesset yet back then, but to the best of my knowledge, they did not receive the approval of the Gedolei Yisrael for this," Pindrus said.

Following the statements, chairman of the Association for LGBTQ Equality in Israel (Aguda), Nimrod Gorenstein, responded, saying, "Member of Knesset Yitzhak Pindrus, the man who said we are more dangerous than Hamas, is now determining that LGBTQ individuals must not be seen in key public positions. Two weeks before the elections, he is once again using us and amplifying hatred to drum up votes....

"And these words have a price, only he isn't the one paying it. This week, a man was beaten on the street in Jaffa because he is gay, and two weeks prior, another young man was punched at a hotel in Jerusalem."

According to Gorenstein, the Aguda filed an official complaint with the Knesset Ethics Committee.