A lawmaker from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party has said that laws governing other countries should not necessarily apply to Israel, arguing that the Jewish people have a distinct religious and national mission.
Speaking to Israel’s Channel 13 on Wednesday, Hanoch Milwidsky said Israel was established to create a Jewish state that would reflect Jewish values and traditions. Referring to the biblical description of the Jewish people as a nation that “dwells alone,” he stressed the importance of maintaining their distinct identity.
Milwidsky argued that international leaders and foreign considerations should not determine Israel’s actions. Instead, he said, Israelis should remain connected to their religious sources and follow the guidance of respected Jewish figures rather than what he called “foreign agendas.”
He also described the Jewish people as having a responsibility to build an exemplary society in Israel.
His comments come amid continuing criticism from Israeli and international rights organizations over policies promoted by members of Israel’s right-wing and far-right political camps. Rights group B’Tselem has accused Israel of maintaining a system of “Jewish supremacy,” saying that its policies give preference to Jewish rights and authority over Palestinians.
Milwidsky has previously faced controversy over comments made during a 2024 Knesset debate concerning Israeli soldiers accused of sexually abusing a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman detention facility. When asked whether such abuse could be justified against someone identified as a Hamas member, he responded that “everything is legitimate.
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