Eisenkot urges respect for Israel’s Arab minority after Netanyahu attacks
Israeli politician Gadi Eisenkot has publicly called for respect toward Israel's Arab minority following inflammatory rhetoric from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The dispute centers on the political legitimacy of Arab-majority parties and their stance on Hamas.
Why it matters
The tension highlights deep-seated political polarization in Israel and the critical role Arab-majority parties play in forming government coalitions.
JERUSALEM: Israeli prime ministerial hopeful Gadi Eisenkot called on Friday for respect for the country’s Arab minority after caretaker premier Benjamin Netanyahu and other right-wing figures sought to delegitimize the community’s lawmakers by linking them to Hamas.
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.
“The attempt to marginalize them and vilify them collectively is a profound violation of the principles of civic responsibility. It dishonors Israel’s Declaration of Independence and the values we take pride in as a Jewish and democratic state,” he added.
Also covering this story
One other newsroom covered this event. We read that version too.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in