Tensions Flare Inside The Democrats Over Islamophobic Remarks

An unusual public clash broke out inside The Democrats, the party led by Yair Golan, after candidate Naor Narkis drew sharp criticism for a social media post about Islam, ultra-Orthodox Jews and secular Israelis.

Narkis wrote that “the Haredim and the religious are doing to us secular people what Islam is doing to Europe,” adding that they use “a liberal and secular mechanism” to turn it into “a state of halakha/sharia.” The remarks triggered heavy backlash, including from fellow candidate Nadal Masalha.

Masalha said Narkis’s comments “cannot pass in silence,” calling Islamophobia racism and saying it was especially troubling coming from within the liberal camp. He argued that a candidate in a party committed to Jewish-Arab partnership was amplifying claims that portray Islam as a whole as a threat.

Masalha added that Arab and Muslim citizens in Israel are “not a political punching bag,” and that Jewish-Arab partnership cannot be treated as an election slogan to be discarded afterward. He urged Narkis to retract the “unfortunate” statement and called on party chairman Yair Golan to make clear that such remarks are unacceptable and do not represent the party’s values.