Miri Regev Sparks Online Mockery After Biblical Mishap in TikTok Video

Israeli Transportation Minister Miri Regev caused a social media stir after mistakenly stating she reads the biblical portion of Balak from the Book of Deuteronomy, when it actually appears in the Book of Numbers. The incident occurred in a staged TikTok video posted by Regev and her team as she geared up for the upcoming Likud primaries and October elections. When asked what she was praying for, Regev said she committed to reading the Balak portion every Tuesday from Deuteronomy, calling it an interesting and auspicious passage.

Viewers quickly corrected her in the comments, pointing out the error and mocking the mistake with sarcastic remarks. In response to the backlash, Regev posted a follow-up video explaining that she was reading from a special edition of Deuteronomy distributed by Rabbi Pinto, which assigns different passages to each day, including Balak on Tuesdays. She insisted that both she and the critics were correct in their own way.

Rabbi Yeshayahu Pinto, mentioned by Regev, is a controversial figure who was convicted in 2015 for bribery and obstruction of justice, serving a prison sentence before his release in 2017. This context added to the public’s reaction to Regev’s explanation. The incident highlights the scrutiny politicians face on social media and the challenges of blending religious symbolism with political campaigning.