Israeli fury over Minister's Torah speech

JERUSALEM, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- The Israeli justice minister said biblical law should play a greater role in Israeli life, prompting calls for his ouster, officials said.

Ya'akov Ne'eman told rabbis and rabbinical judges attending a gathering on Jewish monetary law, "The law of the Torah is Israel's law," Israeli newspapers reported.

"Israel should regain the heritage of our fathers, the primary and ultimate words of the Torah, which contain a complete solution to all the questions we deal with. Soon, in the near future, amen," Ne'eman said.

Ne'eman later clarified his comments, saying he did not mean secular law should be replaced with scripture but rather meant to highlight the importance of Torah law in state life, a spokesman for his office said.

Among those angered by Ne'eman's remarks was former Justice Minister Yossi Beilin who called on Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to fire Ne'eman.

"A justice minister who advocates an Israeli theocracy needs to leave his post immediately," Beilin said.

Science and Technology Minister Daniel Hershkovitz, however, "applauded the justice minister for his intention to base the Israeli legal system on Jewish law and give it a Jewish soul."