Israel Faces Choice: Change Government or Risk Civil Strife

The "Change Bloc" in Israel has a historic opportunity to integrate Arab citizens into decision-making processes and begin healing national divisions, according to author Ran Adalist. He argues that the bloc's goal should be to establish a new Israeli identity, acknowledging the deep societal and tribal rifts reflected in the recent election results. The true struggle for the nation's identity is ongoing, Adalist contends.

The author criticizes the "Change Bloc's" stated principle of opposing only Benjamin Netanyahu, suggesting that any calls for unity with Netanyahu are disingenuous and serve his agenda. Adalist asserts that Netanyahu's actions since his election have been a campaign to delegitimize anything outside the right-wing, achieved through budgetary and ideological marginalization of the democratic-liberal sector. He views negotiations with potential coalition partners as a sign of weakness for Netanyahu, not a national healing act.

Adalist warns that the election campaign is far from over, with the current government, allegedly backed by the Shin Bet, poised to prevent a "change government" through various means, including enticing defectors and exploiting legal loopholes. He describes a fear-mongering campaign on the right, targeting Arab citizens, which he believes is a fabricated threat to scare Jewish voters. Adalist points to a revealed plot involving Netanyahu, Solberg, and Zini, which he claims was quickly thwarted, and suggests that Solberg is now defending the integrity of the electoral process.

Furthermore, Adalist speculates that Netanyahu's ultimate election gambit might involve escalating regional tensions, such as initiating air force strikes, missile attacks on Israel, and declaring a state of emergency to delay government formation. He dismisses threats of war from figures like Trump as self-serving political maneuvers. Adalist criticizes the use of artificial intelligence to create false narratives, a practice he associates with dictators, and labels the current delay tactics as rooted in hatred of Arab citizens, who he believes are the key to the "change government's" success.

He highlights Netanyahu's success in fostering hatred towards the Arab sector and proposes that Arab-Jewish cooperation is the only way forward, not just for political control but as a historical step in healing Israel's denial. Adalist draws a parallel between the potential reaction of the right to Arab-Jewish integration and the Ku Klux Klan's response to Barack Obama's presidency. He notes that the Arab sector has historically integrated economically and socially, emphasizing education and local sovereignty, and points out that the educational attainment of the Joint List's members surpasses that of the outgoing coalition. A recent poll indicates that about half of northern Arabs support changes to the sovereignty status in the Galilee, with 27% viewing Jewish settlements as "Palestinian lands."