Outrage and denunciation from the chief rabbi, and the heads of the haredi political parties United Torah Judaism and Shas, was quick in coming, as they fulminated at Eretz Nehederet’s sacrilege on Wednesday night.“Use of holy articles to disparage, ridicule and offend is awful and terrible, it’s something totally unacceptable that something like this is broadcast on Israeli television,” Chief Rabbi David Lau fumed, adding that the use of the tefillin boxes in this way “trampled on the sensitivities of millions of Jews.”The real Bennett, who is chairman of Bayit Yehudi, posted a picture on his Facebook page of him wearing tefillin, saying “they can make fun of me as much as they want, but [to make fun of] tefillin and the holy things of Israel – no,” adding somberly that he was a proud tefillin wearer and a proud Jew. UTJ chairman and Deputy Health Minister MK Ya’acov Litzman declared he was “very outraged” by the contemptuous use of tefillin by Eretz Nehederet, saying it was “a severe injury to Jewish tradition, which I strongly condemn.”“Humor and satire also have their redlines which you don’t ever cross. The holy things of Israel and Jewish values are not displays for entertainment and ridicule. It’s an utter disgrace to do offense to tefillin in the Jewish state and on official broadcasters,” said the indignant deputy minister And Shas chairman Arye Deri also weighed in, calling the show “disgraceful and insulting” for having mocked tefillin, “which Jews gave up their lives to use throughout the generations.”Netanyahu also deemed it to be worthy of comment, tweeting “You don’t have to wear a kippa to understand the importance of our tradition and the future of our people. It is the essence of our existence. It is what distinguishes and strengthens us. I am in favor of satire, but there are things you just don’t do.”Eretz Nehederet said in response that the show was simply trying to reflect the broad public interest in Barzilai’s win.“Netta’s hairstyle was incorporated on the heads of some of the characters participating in the skit, in different forms. There was no intention of hurting or degrading,” the show said.אני חסיד גדול של חופש הביטוי, אבל צר לי על הרצון והקלות בה פוגעים פגיעה גסה באמונתם וברגשותיהם הדתיים של אחרים.סאטירה זה טוב ויפה, וגם עם אסי כהן שמחקה אותי אין לי בעיה -אבל דווקא נושא האמונה והדת הוא רגיש במדינת היהודים, והמערכון שביזה את התפילין ב'ארץ נהדרת' היה פשוט לא במקום pic.twitter.com/Ay7KtJTWtr
— איוב קרא (@ayoobkara) May 17, 2018