Arab-Israeli Activist Yosef Haddad Denies Supporting Palestinian Statehood

Arab-Israeli advocacy activist Yosef Haddad, who is listed as number two in the Am Israel party led by Ofer Winter, has addressed a resurfaced video clip from an interview conducted over five years ago. The clip, circulating on social media, purports to show Haddad supporting the establishment of a Palestinian state. Haddad stated that the interview was originally broadcast on Saudi television and that the clip has been edited to misrepresent his views.

Haddad clarified that in the original interview, he refuted the apartheid libel, identified Iran as the true threat, and labeled Hamas as a terrorist organization. Regarding a Palestinian state, he explained that his views changed following the "Guardian of the Walls" operation, when he witnessed unrest among Arab citizens within Israel, and especially after the events of October 7th, which he believes revealed the true nature of Palestinians. He asserted that a Palestinian state will not be established and that the Am Israel party's platform explicitly states that "a Palestinian state will not be established on the lands of the Land of Israel." Instead, the party aims to reclaim territories for Israel.

Haddad emphasized his role in combating what he calls Palestinian lies on the global stage and asserting Israeli claims to the land. He noted that his advocacy has led to threats against him and his family, including a fatwa issued in Gaza, and that Palestinians view him as a collaborator and traitor. He dismissed the attempts to portray him as an enemy of the state as "low-level" and urged an end to "spin and lies."

In a separate statement from the same past interview, Haddad expressed a different perspective, suggesting that progress towards peace could be achieved when Arab Israelis are proud of their dual identity and fully integrated into decision-making processes. He also linked improvements in the conditions of Arab Israelis and their integration into senior government institutions to the potential for dialogue with Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.