Following the harsh remarks during a press conference in which Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon called some mispallalim from Beit Knesset Ayelet HaShachar “thugs”, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu defended their honor.

Mr. Netanyahu stated “I strongly protests the defense minister’s accusations against the shul’s mispallalim. The accusations are absurd and baseless, and this slanders the good name of the mispallalim numbering 400 families and tarnishing the good name of all the residents of Givat Ze’ev.

“It seems that the whole point of the defense minister’s remarks is to distract the public to the government’s inability to come to their assistance regarding the imminent demolition of the shul.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)