In an address to the Knesset plenum on Wednesday, Religious Zionist MK Betzalel Smotrich called out the mainstream media and politicians for obscuring the truth due to politically correct bias:

“Here, there was a huge ‘infection party’ that I think started this whole outbreak, this whole wave,” said Smotrich in a speech at the Knesset plenum on Wednesday. “No one has the courage to say this because it’s not politically correct, but the Pride Parade, the large frenzy there in Tel Aviv, was what started this outbreak.”

The so-called “Pride Parade” was held in Tel Aviv on June 25 bringing together zn estimated hundred thousand revelers. Despite the beginnings of a spike in COVID cases and reinstated social distancing/maslk mandates, the event was openly non-social distanced with no masks seen at the beach-side event.

Smotrich was widely criticized and labeled “homophobic” by the media and left-wing politicians for his comments but his concerns about the exemption of the event remains unaddressed.

Smotrich also pointed out a religious double standard in which Jewish holidays are tightly controlled but Muslims holidays are not. This is especially poignant as a lockdown seems imminent as the Jewish holiday season approaches.

“On the Jewish holidays, it’s not a big deal,” he said. “So we won’t pray in the synagogues. We won’t dance with the Torah on Simhat Torah. We’ll fast for a full day on Yom Kippur and pray outside under the blazing sun and we won’t celebrate with our families.”

Last month, an estimated 100,000 Muslims gathered on the Temple Mount on the holiday of Eid al Adha without any social distancing or masks. In addition, the religious event turned politcal and pro-terrorism as Hamas banners were displayed. Jewish visitation to the site has been curtailed in recent months due to Arab violence.