Ultra-Orthodox minister sparks outrage after dancing at wedding to anti-Zionist & anti-IDF songs

A political storm erupted after a video was shared on social media on Sunday night showing Housing and Construction Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf, the chairman of the United Torah Judaism Party, dancing at a wedding.

The video showed him surrounded by ultra-Orthodox celebrants dancing and chanting the words to a song playing in the background: "We will die and we will not enlist," and, "We do not believe in the rule of the infidels, and we do not report to their [enlistment] offices."

The song played at the wedding party is often used by a radical, anti-Zionist ultra-Orthodox movement known as Neturei Karta, which believes that Jews were exiled from Israel by God as punishment for sins and that the nation of Israel can only be built by the Messiah.

They believe any attempt to establish a Jewish state by humans is not only destined to fail but is another, grave sin against God. 

The reactions from across the political spectrum were almost immediate, and notably, the voices coming from within the coalition and its supporters were equally sharp. 

Education Minister Yoav Kisch responded to the video with a harsh criticism, not only of the event, but also of the recent behavior of ultra-Orthodox coalition leaders. 

“One time it's a mistake, the second time it's a coincidence, and the third time it boils the blood,” Kisch wrote to 𝕏.

“Precisely because I don't think that real conscription of the ultra-Orthodox can be done by coercion, but rather by discourse and agreements, and precisely because the State of Israel is in a terrible crisis in terms of the need for manpower in the IDF and the real, honest and just desire of the reservists to share the burden, precisely because of all this, it is infuriating to see many times the lack of understanding of the event by large parts of the ultra-Orthodox leadership.” 

Energy Minister Eli Cohen also excoriated Goldknopf, saying, “The ultra-Orthodox community must go under the stretcher and bear more of the security burden, in order to provide a solution to the enormous challenges facing the State of Israel.” 

Likud MK Dan Illouz posted a scathing note to 𝕏 Monday morning, accusing Goldknopf of “crossing a moral line,” and stating that he “is not worthy to serve as a minister in the State of Israel.” 

Laly Deri, the mother of the fallen soldier Saadia Deri, shared on 𝕏 about her grief at seeing the video. 

“Instead of singing it to the tune of the Tisha B'Av lament, or falling on their faces and beating themselves up for sin, they dance and frolic,” she wrote. “My son enlisted so that we could live. He died so that we might live. So that the restless may live.” 

“It hurts to an extent that cannot be described,” she concluded. 

Responding to the growing political storm, on Monday afternoon, Goldknopf issued a statement trying to defend his actions, and claiming he was not comfortable with the song. 

“I participated this evening in the wedding of a family member, and during the dance, the music changed to a song that, to say the least, I am not comfortable with," he wrote.

"In order not to offend the groom and his family, I remained in place, and unfortunately, some have exploited this to incite as if I agree with the song's content.” 

"I disassociate myself and condemn it," he added. 

Later, he posted a message to 𝕏, as well, apologizing for hurting people, and promising to act differently in the future. 

“Following the condemnation I published, my heart goes out to all those who were rightly offended. In the passion of the dancing and the music, I set no limits, and precisely as someone who helps the reservists, who fears for the soldiers' safety and prays for their success, I ask for forgiveness. I had a duty to silence the orchestra on the spot, and I will act accordingly in the future,” Goldknopf wrote. “I fully understand the pain and apologize.” 

The reservist Brothers in Arms movement, which became well known in 2023 due to its opposition to the Judicial Reforms, called Goldknopf's actions "a defiant and disgraceful act meant to humiliate our heroic IDF soldiers.”

The group called on Prime Minister Netanyahu to fire Goldknopf from the government. 

“While over 800 IDF soldiers have fallen in battle, a minister in the Israeli government is dancing to the tunes of ‘We Will Die and Not Enlist’ and ‘We Do Not Believe in the Rule of the Heretics.’ This is not a mistake – it is policy. Goldknopf and Netanyahu’s government openly promote the draft-dodging scheme while reservists collapse under their fifth and sixth rounds of deployment,” the group accused. 

Yisrael Beytenu MK Oded Forer said Goldknopf should be fired and called for the Knesset to pass a law prohibiting voting for those who do not serve in the military. 

“Our soldiers are defending our borders, and Minister Goldknopf is dancing to the anthem of draft dodgers. A real prime minister would fire him tonight,” Forer wrote. “But instead, we have a fake prime minister. The State of Israel must pass a simple law: If you don’t enlist, you don’t vote.” 

At the time of publication, Netanyahu had yet to release a statement about the controversy, however, according to a report in Ynet, when asked about the Goldknopf video in private, Netanyahu responded, “Minister Goldknopf did well to disavow the song that was played at the event he attended.” 

In response to the criticism, Goldknopf has resigned from his position as a minister in the Prime Minister’s Office but retains his role as housing minister.