Israeli Orthodox politician Yinon Azoulay said Wednesday that a recent minor earthquake that hit the Sea of Galilee in the northern part of the country could be blamed on progressive Jews.

The remarks came during a Knesset debate on an egalitarian prayer space in the Western Wall.

… Azoulay said: “Today we heard there was some kind of earthquake, maybe we should do some soul-searching that this earthquake was because someone is trying to touch that which is sacred to us? Hear our pain, they are not Jews.” “What do you have to do with the ancient stones of the Kotel?” Azoulay asked, suggesting that Reform Jews “take the money you invest in the State of Israel and build a Kotel in the U.S.”

That’s a low blow, claiming both that Reform Jews aren’t really True Believers™ and that they don’t have a legitimate claim to modify the Western Wall (Kotel). Critics would say all Jews have a claim to the Western Wall, but leave it to a fundamentalist to case aside those who share his faith if not every single detail.

