Israel’s Version of Pat Robertson

A member of Israel’s parliament has an unusual explanation for the recent spate of earthquakes in his country: It’s the gays! Specifically, says Orthodox lawmaker Shlomo Benizri, the Israeli government’s acceptance of and tolerance toward homosexuals have incurred God’s wrath in the form of tectonic rumblers.

BBC:

Mr Benizri made his comments while addressing a committee of the Israeli parliament, or Knesset, about the country’s readiness for earthquakes.

He called on lawmakers to stop “passing legislation on how to encourage homosexual activity in the state of Israel, which anyway brings about earthquakes”.

Israeli court rulings in recent years have granted inheritance rights to gay couples and recognised same-sex marriages performed abroad.

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AP photo / Lefteris Pitarakis

Blame it on the gays: Like American conservative preacher-pundit Pat Robertson, Israel’s Shlomo Benizri links natural disasters to his country’s policies toward those whose sexual orientation doesn’t pass (his idea of) a biblical litmus test.