Opposition Must Break Pledge on Arab Parties to Oust Netanyahu
Translated & summarized from Maariv by baba
Israeli opposition parties are urged to break their election pledge not to rely on Arab parties to successfully oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The article argues that this tactical promise hinders the opposition's core goal of removing Netanyahu, whose leadership is criticized for alleged failures and harm to democracy. Arab parties have signaled willingness to support a government externally, and their inclusion is presented as crucial for Israel's future, contrasting with Netanyahu's reliance on non-Zionist Haredi parties.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Israeli opposition must break election pledge on Arab parties to oust PM Netanyahu.
- Netanyahu's leadership is blamed for October 7th disaster and harm to democracy.
- Arab parties are willing to support a government externally without cabinet posts.
- Opposition's core goal to replace Netanyahu outweighs tactical promise, author argues.
- Netanyahu has relied on non-Zionist Haredi parties for years.
The Israeli opposition faces a critical dilemma: uphold its election promise not to rely on Arab parties, or fulfill its core mandate to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The article argues that to achieve the latter, the opposition must overcome its "pathetic" adoption of Netanyahu's claim that such reliance would taint a government. Arab citizens constitute about a fifth of Israel's population, and their representatives are elected to the Knesset, with their mandates factored into parliamentary power calculations.
While Arab parties do not support Netanyahu's Likud and its allies, they have historically provided external support to governments, as seen in past instances where parties like Yamina or Shas were courted. The opposition's promise not to depend on Arab parties is a tactical electoral commitment, whereas the promise to replace Netanyahu and change Israel's direction was the central theme of their campaign. The author posits that the broader responsibility to remove Netanyahu, especially given his alleged failures including the October 7th disaster and ongoing corruption charges, outweighs the tactical pledge.
Arab party leaders have indicated willingness to support a minority government from the outside without demanding cabinet positions, with demands focused on issues like crime in the Arab community and the Palestinian issue. The article draws parallels to historical debates on the morality of breaking promises, citing Winston Churchill's view that public servants owe their constituents judgment, not blind obedience. The author contends that adhering to an "idiotic" promise could paradoxically enable Netanyahu's continued rule, leading to further harm to Israeli democracy, society, and security.
Netanyahu himself has relied on ultra-Orthodox parties whose demands have significant implications for Israel's security, economy, and social cohesion, some of which are not even Zionist. The article concludes that the opposition must abandon its self-defeating tactics and avoid turning a potential victory into a failure, emphasizing that their task is simpler than Netanyahu's alleged willingness to form alliances with "the devil."
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