Religious Zionism MKs suggest doctors and hotels can refuse to serve gay people – The Times of Israel

Two members of Knesset with the Religious Zionist party suggest that businesses and even doctors should be allowed to turn away members of the LGBT community.

Religious Zionism MK Orit Strock says on Kan public radio that “a doctor who has to provide some sort of treatment that goes against his religious beliefs — as long as there are enough other doctors who can provide the treatment, you should not force him.”

Strock did not specifically mention treating LGBT patients, but made the comments in the context of a coalition demand to allow such discrimination to become legal on the basis of religious freedom.

Fellow Religious Zionism MK Simcha Rothman is more explicit, saying on the same radio station that a religious hotel owner can deny service to a gay couple “if it stands in opposition to and harms his religious sensitivities.”

Incoming prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemns Strock’s comments, saying they are “unacceptable to me and to members of Likud.” Netanyahu adds that the coalition agreements “do not allow discriminating against members of the LGBTQ community or harming their rights” and such policies will be strongly opposed by Likud.

Netanyahu’s statement does not mention Rothman’s comments.