Is Benjamin Netanyahu the most Bible-believing prime minister in the modern history of the State of Israel?
He himself has made the case on numerous occasions, including a recent campaign rally in which Netanyahu insisted that not only does he read the Scriptures weekly, he “lives it!”
Bibi’s professed affinity for the Word of God naturally riles both his political opponents (who think it’s all a stunt) and more secular-minded Israelis (who think the Bible is naught but fairytales). Usually, both groups consist of the same people.
So, it was little surprise that the mainstream Israeli media was up in arms last week when Netanyahu tweeted a video clip of himself and three friendly journalists singing a popular local rendition of Psalm 147.
שבחי ירושלים ❤️ pic.twitter.com/YRyCyw7Y5x
— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) February 13, 2020
One of those journalists, Erel Segal, was suspended for several days from his job at Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation Kan for publicly singing the psalm together with his prime minister.
The authorities that be called it “propaganda.”
Netanyahu called the suspension “disgraceful,” especially considering the setting and circumstances. Most of Israel is euphoric over the fact that many of the nations of the world are finally recognizing the Jewish state’s sovereignty over the entirety of the Holy City.
That’s why Netanyahu singing the “Praises of Jerusalem” quickly went viral on Hebrew-language social media, though mainstream reporters blasted their three religious colleagues for acting as “the prime minister’s mouthpieces.”