Israel’s ultra-Orthodox party has reacted in anger to the revelation that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s son is dating a non-Jewish woman.
Yair Netanyahu, 23, is reportedly in a relationship with the Norwegian national Sandra Leikanger, 25, and met whilst studying at the same university in Israel.
Prime Minister Netanyahu casually mentioned his son’s relationship and travels in Norway with his girlfriend to the Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg in Davos last week, Israeli press reported. The relationship was first reported by the Norwegian daily Dagen.
Aryeh Deri, leader of Shas, a political party that has for decades been one of the key power brokers in Israeli politics, reacted with the words: “Woe is us.”
The matter is of a wider importance to all Jewish people, he noted.
Other Israeli politicians have questioned the importance of the issue.
In Israel, there are no civil marriages, so Israeli couples can get married only in religious courts, and only to partners of the same faith.
Prime Minister Netanyahu’s second wife was non-Jewish, before she converted.
Tags: Israel, Netanyahu’s son, religious party