Fear of Arab-Jewish partnership will not defeat Netanyahu, columnist argues

After the recent brief round of fighting, columnist Michal Sela argues that the camp seeking to replace Benjamin Netanyahu has fallen back into an updated version of the old “Arabs are rushing to the polls” logic. In her view, leaders of the change bloc want Arab parties to provide the votes needed to form a coalition, but not to be treated as full partners in government.

She criticizes Naftali Bennett, Yair Lapid, and Gadi Eisenkot for signaling, directly or indirectly, that they will not rely on Arab parties. She says this means demanding support from about one-fifth of Israel’s citizens while telling them, in effect, to stay outside the room once power is divided. Sela writes that this is not only cynical, but also politically misguided, because voters who feel ignored may simply stop participating.

Sela points to the previous government of change as proof that a Jewish-Arab partnership is politically legitimate and was essential to its formation. She says the same forces now trying to recreate that coalition are denying the very condition that made it possible, while privately assuming Arab parties will still enable a government after the election.

Citing the “Partnership Index” from Givat Haviva, based on a Madgam survey, she says centrist voters are split on cooperation with Arab parties, with 41% in favor, 47% opposed, and 12% undecided. Among change-bloc voters, 43% support such cooperation, 48% oppose it, and 8% do not know. She concludes that leaders like Yair Golan are right to say there should be no fear of a Jewish-Arab partnership, and argues that democracy cannot be defended by excluding one-fifth of the country.