Okay, this is the kind of political chaos I can actually enjoy.
Yoav Segalovitz, a Jewish Zionist and former senior police commander, is running second on the list of Ra’am, an Arab party with Islamist roots.
A Jewish Zionist inside Ra’am, politically speaking ofc.
Yes, you read that correctly.
And before everyone begins screaming, crying and declaring the end of civilization, let us breathe.
Segalovitz did not convert to Islam.
Mansour Abbas did not suddenly become Ben-Gurion.
Nobody surrendered Jerusalem.
Two men who disagree on many things simply decided that Israeli citizens deserve functioning politics.
Very scandalous, apparently.
I do not support everything Ra’am represents. I am not joining the Mansour Abbas fan club. I will not pretend that serious questions about Zionism, Israel’s Jewish identity, national service and civic responsibility have magically disappeared.
They have not.
But I also refuse this primitive idea that Jews and Arabs must remain permanent enemies because Hamas committed October 7.
Hamas committed October 7.
Hamas el sharmouta committed October 7.
One more time, please.
Hamas EL SHARMOUTA committed October 7.
Israeli Arabs did not collectively commit October 7.
Mansour Abbas is not Yahya Sinwar, and treating every Arab Muslim like Hamas does not make Israel stronger. It makes Hamas very happy because it validates their fantasy of an eternal religious war.
Sorry, but I am not participating in Hamas propaganda just to prove that I am sufficiently angry.
Ra’am says fighting crime in Arab communities is its priority. Segalovitz actually has experience doing exactly that. He established Lahav 433 and fought organized crime. As a matter of fact, he probably has enough experience to hand out a few sa7asi7 where needed.
So Abbas asked the obvious question : Why should he search for someone who looks and thinks exactly like him when he can bring someone who knows how to do the job ?
Revolutionary concept.
Competence.
An Arab father burying his murdered son does not care whether the police officer is Jewish, Muslim, Druze or secretly powered by hummus. He wants to know why nobody came to save his child.
That is the real issue.
I am a Southern-Lebanese Sunni Muslim who supports Israel. Trust me, I already understand what it means to disturb everyone’s comfortable little political categories.
Jews do not need to erase their Zionism to work with Arabs.
Arabs do not need to erase their identity to work with Jews.
They need to stop behaving like cooperation is some forbidden romance that will dishonor the family.
This alliance is not automatically beautiful. It is not automatically trustworthy. It must prove itself.
Ra’am must show that it accepts political partnership inside a Jewish and democratic Israel, including responsibilities and not only demands. Segalovitz must show that this is more than an election stunt designed to rearrange coalition mathematics, c'mon yalla .
Work together. Produce results. Protect citizens.
That is it.
The Jewish extremists will call Segalovitz a traitor. The Arab extremists will call Abbas a Zionist collaborator.
Wonderful.
When extremists on both sides are simultaneously having a nervous breakdown, I become curious.
This is not about Jews and Arabs suddenly loving each other.
They already share hospitals, roads, businesses, universities and an entire country. They also share the consequences when politicians fail.
They do not need matching friendship bracelets.
They need a government that functions.
If a proud Jewish Zionist and a proud Arab Muslim can sit at the same table without either one disappearing, that is not weakness.
That is Israel behaving like an actual country.
Now let us see whether they can deliver.
I really hope I never see the Knesset divorce version of this political marriage.
Too much Ashkelon arak, or an Arab marriage? I asked MK Eshayek, but naturally, he never replies. What a true Israeli politician.