Zeut Candidate Arkady Mutler Discusses Elections, Arab Parties, and Education Reform

Arkady Mutler, a candidate for the Zeut party, has spoken about the party's upcoming election strategy, its alliance with Bezalel Smotrich's faction, and his views on Israeli politics and education. Zeut is participating in a technical bloc with Smotrich's party to overcome the electoral threshold, having narrowly missed it in the previous election by approximately 14,000 votes.

Mutler criticized the tendency in Israeli politics to focus on personalities rather than ideas, citing the frequent emergence and disappearance of political 'stars,' including generals entering politics. He expressed disappointment that Ofer Winter did not join their bloc, stating that while Winter has merits, the experience of generals in politics has often been disappointing. Mutler also touched upon the issue of Arab parties in the Knesset, labeling them a 'fifth column' for not recognizing Israel as a Jewish state and for alleged support of terrorism, while distinguishing them from loyal Arab citizens.

Regarding education, Mutler outlined Zeut's proposal for a voucher system, where funding follows the student, aiming to increase school autonomy and reduce bureaucratic influence. He argued that the current Ministry of Education is inefficient and lacks competition, leading to poor outcomes despite significant investment. Mutler drew parallels with the success of the high-tech industry, attributing it to competition and minimal state intervention, and suggested a similar approach for education.

Mutler also addressed attempts to disqualify parties from elections, viewing them as political games rather than genuine efforts to remove candidates. He specifically mentioned the disqualification of Michael Ben-Ari in 2019, whose warnings about potential events were prescient, contrasting it with the continued participation of Arab parties he deems problematic. He believes that the political establishment's focus on such games contributed to the tragedy of October 7th.