Arab citizens collectively vilified for political purposes, Eisenkot accuses Netanyahu of fueling racist hostility against Arabs

Eisenkot criticizes Netanyahu

Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief seeking to form Israel’s next government, issued his criticism on Friday. He accused Netanyahu of promoting hostility toward the country’s Arab citizens.

The remarks came days after Netanyahu attacked Arab lawmakers in a divisive speech. Eisenkot described his own comments as a response to what he said was a campaign targeting the Arab community.

Campaign described as racist

In a social media statement, Eisenkot said Arab citizens had faced a racist and aggressive effort to undermine their legitimacy since the election campaign began. He attributed it to Netanyahu and people around the outgoing prime minister, saying it served political purposes.

Eisenkot said efforts to marginalize Arab citizens and portray them collectively as villains violated principles of statesmanship. He also said the campaign dishonored Israel’s founding declaration and the values of a Jewish and democratic state.

Declaration affirms equal rights

Israel’s Declaration of Independence says citizens have equal social and political rights regardless of religion, race or sex. Eisenkot cited the declaration as a standard the country should uphold. His statement offered some of the strongest public criticism of Netanyahu’s attacks on Arab citizens, as the two men contend over Israel’s next government.