Statement a rare instance of a prominent Jewish political leader taking a strong stand in defence of Arab Israelis
Israeli prime ministerial hopeful Gadi Eisenkot accused caretaker premier Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday of fuelling a “racist” campaign against the country’s Arab minority, after he sought to delegitimise the community’s lawmakers by linking them to Hamas.
Eisenkot’s statement was a rare instance of a prominent Jewish political leader taking a strong stand in defence of Arab Israelis, who make up more than 20% of the population.
Two Arab-majority parties, Raam and the Joint List, secured a combined 19 seats in last month’s election, winning nearly a sixth of the 120-seat parliament and potentially emerging as kingmakers in efforts by Eisenkot to form a government.
“Arab citizens of Israel are an integral part of the Israeli story,” Eisenkot wrote on X on Friday.
“They have been subjected to a racist and aggressive campaign of delegitimisation, fuelled by the outgoing prime minister and those around him for political purposes,” he added.
“The attempt to marginalise them and vilify them collectively is a profound violation of the principles of civic responsibility.”
Netanyahu and his allies have repeatedly criticised leaders of Arab parties for refusing to describe Hamas as a “terror group” following its unprecedented 7 October 2023 attack on Israel.
