Avishai Ben Haim Urges Opposition Leaders to End Political Boycott of Likud After Three Years

Following the Tisha B'Av fast, journalist and commentator Dr. Avishai Ben Haim issued a strong call to opposition leaders Gadi Eizenkot, Naftali Bennett, and Yair Lapid to lift the ongoing political boycott against the Likud party and its supporters. Ben Haim described the boycott as a "historic disgrace" that has persisted even after three years of war, urging a shift from "baseless hatred to unconditional love." He highlighted the irony that those once marginalized as 'Buginists' and 'snobs' are now boycotted and labeled 'Bibi supporters' and 'thugs.'

Ben Haim emphasized the unity displayed by the Jewish people since the October 7 attacks, noting that fighters from "Israel's second generation" have sacrificed alongside others. However, he criticized the opposition parties led by Eizenkot, Bennett, and Lapid for continuing to ostracize the families of fallen Likud-affiliated soldiers, even preferring dialogue with the Islamic Movement over representatives of these Zionist families. He warned that if the boycott is not lifted, it will dominate the upcoming election discourse and historical narratives, portraying some parties as favoring the Islamic Movement while excluding loyal Zionist families.

Drawing parallels to past ethnic tensions, Ben Haim referenced Menachem Begin's 1980s speech addressing anti-Mizrahi sentiments, calling the current boycott a national disaster and a nadir in Zionist history. He concluded by urging opposition leaders to seize the opportunity before Tisha B'Av to end this "Jewish disgrace," stressing that unlike past discrimination, today's boycott involves alliances with the Islamic Movement to exclude the majority of the Jewish people from government representation.

The article also briefly notes a related poll showing Netanyahu's decline and Eizenkot's rise in political standing.