Arab Israeli Lawmaker Stays for Anthem, Citing Respect for Knesset
Translated & summarized from Srugim by baba
Ra'am party lawmaker Yasser Hujirat remained for Israel's national anthem at the Knesset swearing-in, explaining it was out of respect for fellow MKs, though the anthem doesn't resonate with him as an Arab Palestinian citizen. Prime Minister Netanyahu used the occasion to call for a national unity government, criticizing parties he deemed hostile to Israel's existence. The Joint List party lawmakers walked out during the anthem.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Ra'am MK Yasser Hujirat stayed for the Israeli anthem, citing respect for the Knesset.
- Hujirat stated the anthem does not speak to him as an Arab Palestinian citizen.
- Lawmakers from the Joint List party walked out during the anthem.
- Prime Minister Netanyahu called for a national unity government to face security challenges.
- Netanyahu criticized potential coalition partners hostile to Israel's existence.
Yasser Hujirat, a Member of Knesset from the Ra'am party, remained in the plenum during the Israeli national anthem at the Knesset's swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday. This occurred while lawmakers from the Joint List party walked out. Hujirat explained his decision in an interview, stating, "I say this openly, whoever comes to the Knesset and swears allegiance to the Knesset must remain. Not because the anthem speaks to me, because it does not speak to me as an Arab Palestinian, a citizen of the State of Israel, but I remained out of respect for the other members of Knesset who are present."
Prime Minister Netanyahu, in his speech that evening, addressed the political landscape, drawing a distinction between the "moderate" Ra'am and the "extreme" Joint List. He asserted that the difference lies only in their preferred vision for a future state on the "ruins of the Jewish state," whether it be an Islamic state like Hamas or a Palestinian nationalist state like Fatah. Netanyahu claimed both factions agree that Israel, as a Jewish state, has no right to exist.
Regarding the security situation, the Prime Minister called for the formation of a national unity government, emphasizing its necessity to confront "enormous challenges." He questioned the wisdom of forming a government that relies on or includes supporters of terrorism and those who aim to destroy the Jewish state, contrasting this with Zionist parties representing a large Zionist public.
