Netanyahu's Shifting Stance on Arab Political Participation
Translated & summarized from Haaretz by baba
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's past promises to appoint an Arab minister and calls for Arab participation in government have been contrasted with his recent rhetoric. Despite pledges made in 2021 to appoint Nael Zuabi as a minister, the commitment was not met. In recent elections, Netanyahu issued warnings about Arab voters, a stark departure from his earlier inclusive messages and apologies for past controversial statements. Ra'am Chairman Mansour Abbas claims Netanyahu's party negotiated with him for government inclusion as early as 2019.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Prime Minister Netanyahu promised to appoint an Arab minister but never fulfilled the pledge.
- Netanyahu's rhetoric towards Arab citizens has shifted from inclusive calls to warnings.
- In 2021, Netanyahu urged Arab voters to join the government and be partners.
- Netanyahu previously apologized for a controversial statement about Arabs voting.
- Ra'am Chairman Mansour Abbas claims Likud negotiated government inclusion with him in 2019.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's past overtures to Arab citizens, including a promise to appoint a Muslim Arab minister, have contrasted sharply with his recent rhetoric. In the lead-up to the 2021 elections, Netanyahu urged Arab voters to join the government, specifically pledging to appoint Nael Zuabi, an educator from Tamra, as minister for the advancement of Arab society. He even contrasted this with Itamar Ben-Gvir's potential role, stating, "Not Ben-Gvir, Nael Zuabi. This is a commitment."
However, this promise was never fulfilled. Zuabi was placed in an unrealistic 39th position on the Likud list, failing to enter the Knesset. Even after Likud returned to power in 2023, the commitment remained unmet, while Ben-Gvir did become a minister. This shift is evident when comparing Netanyahu's 2021 statements, where he spoke of Arab citizens being "partners in the miracle that is the State of Israel" and emphasized the strategic importance of their inclusion for relations with Arab states and for prosperity, with his more recent warnings.
Netanyahu's engagement with Arab voters has a longer history, including speaking Arabic and expressing excitement over being called "Abu Yair" by residents of Ar'ara in the Negev during the 2021 campaign. In 2016, he addressed Arab citizens as "our dear Arab citizens" and spoke of a vision for equality and partnership. He even apologized in 2015 for a controversial remark about Arabs voting en masse, clarifying his intent was to warn against voting for specific political lists rather than Arab citizens voting in general.
In contrast, during the most recent elections, Netanyahu's tone hardened. He warned on social media about "Muslim Brotherhood supporters storming the ballot boxes and stealing the elections," accompanied by a video suggesting Ra'am and the Joint List were aiming to overthrow the right-wing government. This starkly contrasts with his earlier calls for Arab participation and his vision of a strong Israel bolstered by diversity and pluralism.
Mansour Abbas, Chairman of Ra'am, has claimed that Netanyahu's Likud engaged in negotiations with him about joining a government as early as 2019, suggesting a strategic inconsistency in Netanyahu's approach. Abbas stated to Haaretz last summer that Netanyahu believed he deserved to form a government with Ra'am's support, while simultaneously opposing others doing so.
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