Mordechai Werdyger, the internationally acclaimed Hasidic singer known by his stage name Mordechai Ben David, has faced criticism from the political party Yisrael Beiteinu following remarks he made about party leader Avigdor Lieberman in a podcast interview with Shlomi Zionce.
During the interview, Ben David discussed Lieberman's longstanding claim that the Ribnitzer Rebbe - a prominent 20th-century Hasidic figure with whom Ben David was closely associated - served as his mohel. Ben David questioned the accuracy of the claim and then remarked that, if it were true, "they should have cut off his head instead," According to translated excerpts shared on social media.
Yisrael Beiteinu responded sharply on X, stating the Ribnitzer Rebbe "would be ashamed that his name is being used to spread hatred and incite the murder of Avigdor Lieberman." The party added: "This is a moral disgrace. Common decency comes before Torah."
The statement also reflected the party's political platform, expressing confidence in winning Israel's next election, ending military draft exemptions, and restoring order to the country.
The Ribnitzer Rebbe, who died in 1995, remains a revered figure in the Hasidic community. His gravesite in Monsey, New York, has become one of North America's most visited Jewish pilgrimage sites, drawing tens of thousands of visitors annually.
The exchange drew online attention given Ben David's prominence in the Orthodox Jewish community and his well-known relationship with the rabbi. As of Sunday, Ben David had not issued a public response to Yisrael Beiteinu's statement.