Likud Officials Comment on Yosef Haddad Controversy

A video surfaced over the weekend from a more than five-and-a-half-year-old interview given by Yosef Haddad, the second-ranked candidate on the Am Israel party list led by Ofer Vinter, to Saudi television, sparking political controversy. Journalist Mohammed Magadla revealed the video, which reportedly shows Haddad expressing support for a two-state solution and peace with "our Palestinian brothers," and stating, "The final solution, God willing, is a Palestinian state." Senior Likud officials declined to issue an official response, stating that "the words speak for themselves and therefore there is no need for an official response from the party." However, pro-Likud social media accounts, not officially affiliated with the party, widely amplified the story. The "United News" Telegram channel shared the video, labeling Haddad as "Ofer Vinter's number 2," and other pro-Likud accounts on X, such as "HaMitzpadata," also shared it. These accounts are reportedly influential among Likud voters, with some Likud Knesset members having spent significant funds on advertising through "United News," according to official Knesset data. This is not the first time Haddad has expressed such views; he also supported a Palestinian state after Operation Guardian of the Walls. The Am Israel party defended Haddad, who himself issued a lengthy statement. He claimed the video was released "not by chance" and was taken from an interview conducted during the "Deal of the Century" era, which he said was enthusiastically supported by Netanyahu's government. Haddad stated that at the time, he believed the conflict could end with "proud Israeli Arabs integrating into key positions and sitting at the negotiation table, thereby ensuring that Palestinian nonsense wouldn't fool us." However, he added that his perspective shifted during Operation Guardian of the Walls when he witnessed "Palestinians together with nationalistic and extremist Israeli Arabs igniting the streets in Israel." He concluded that peace was not possible with them and they should not be granted a state. Haddad also referenced the October 7th massacre by "Palestinian Nazis," noting that he is threatened by Palestinians who label him a "collaborator and traitor." He asserted that his actions, not a "timed and distorted campaign," prove who he truly is. He declared, "Today, I have not a drop of trust in the Palestinians, and I strongly oppose a Palestinian state, which is an existential disaster for us all." Haddad explained his presence in the Am Israel party by its focus on "voluntary emigration from Gaza, as it is the only solution there." He concluded by stating his intention, as Minister of Public Diplomacy, to "expose the Palestinian lie to the world to ensure no one believes them anymore and to finally kill the idea of a Palestinian state."