Likud Candidate Calls for Arab Parties to Remain in Knesset

Eli Goldschmidt, ranked 26th on the Likud party's list for the upcoming Knesset elections, stated in a recent interview that the Joint List and Ra'am parties should not be disqualified from running for parliament. While expressing strong opposition to their views, particularly regarding Zionism and the state's existence, Goldschmidt argued for allowing them parliamentary representation as long as they acknowledge fundamental principles.

He differentiated between parliamentary representation and government participation, asserting that parties aligned with groups like the Muslim Brotherhood should not be part of a government. Goldschmidt also commented on the potential disqualification of the "Democrats" party, stating that despite his sharp disagreement with their chairman's remarks about Israeli soldiers, the party should not be banned, as it belongs to the "Zionist camp."

Addressing past criticisms he leveled against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Goldschmidt admitted he was wrong and has since changed his views. Regarding the October 7th attacks, he acknowledged Netanyahu's ministerial responsibility as prime minister but suggested the primary blame for preparedness failures lies with the military, pending a future, broadly agreed-upon investigation.

Goldschmidt also drew a parallel between Netanyahu's policy on Hamas and that of the previous "change government," claiming the latter transferred even larger sums of money to the Gaza Strip.