In an interview with i24NEWS, the chairman of the Religious Zionist Party stated: "When the Arabs of Israel choose a leadership that does not identify with terrorism and violence - then they will be legitimate partners"
"There is a real religion - the Jewish religion. A religion of peace, love and tolerance. And there is a religion of violence, of terror, of jihad - this is the religion that Mansour Abbas represents," Bezalel Smutrich said in an interview at the Israel Today joint election studio. And "i24NEWS", in Arabic.
Smutrich: "There is a true religion and there is a religion of terrorism" // Credit: i24 NEWS
The chairman of the Religious Zionist Party, Bezalel Smutrich, said in an interview tonight (Wednesday) that they will not sit with the Arab parties, and that the "religion" that Mansour Abbas represents is a religion of violence, terrorism and jihad.
"Even if these two religions are called 'religion', it is not really the same thing," he added.
He said, "The State of Israel is a Jewish and democratic state. These are the two basic definitions that define the democratic field in which we play. Whoever accepts the definition of the field - can be a legitimate player within the field. Whoever denies these two parts, can not be a legitimate partner.
"Unfortunately, the leadership of the Israeli Arabs, I am not saying this is a question for all Arabs. Currently, the political leadership of the Israeli Arabs denies these two elements: infidelity in the Jewish state. They are not willing to accept that the State of Israel is a Jewish state. Whether it is Hezbollah, Iran, and Hamas in Gaza, they also do not accept the democratic state because whoever supports terrorism, violence and makes a pilgrimage to visit terrorists who smashed children's skulls after being released from Israeli prisons, then he also does not accept democracy - because there is no violence in democracy.
"I am waiting for the day when the Arabs of Israel will elect a leadership that will accept, as the Druze in the State of Israel accept, that Israel is a Jewish state, and they want to live in it as citizens with equal rights and obligations. A leadership that accepts Israel as a Jewish state. A leadership that disapproves, and defends. "So they will surely be legitimate partners. As long as the Israeli Arab leadership does not accept Israel as neither Jewish nor democratic, it turns the table, it does not accept the conditions of the game. They cannot be legitimate partners in any government."
I24NEWS presenter in Arabic, Lorin and Hebbi, responded to his remarks by asking: "On the one hand you refuse to sit with the Arabs, and on the other hand you want a government only led by Netanyahu, and such a government may only be possible with the support of Mansour Abbas and Ra'am.
Will you sit and participate in such a government? "
Smutrich: "I will not be a partner in such a government in any way. Regarding what I said before - there is no difference between Mansour Abbas and Ayman Odeh. Mansour Abbas does not accept the State of Israel as a Jewish state either. Unfortunately, Mansour Abbas and the Islamic movement he came from also came up. "On several occasions, not twice or three times, to turn these terrorists into martyrs and cultural heroes."
Lorin and Hebei: "But you and Mansour Abbas have many common ground between you. You are both religious and you have close positions, for example on the issue of LGBTs."
Smutritz: "I do not know what his positions are, and I do not know if I share them or not. I know there is a real religion, the Jewish religion, which is a religion of peace and a religion of love, and a religion of tolerance and acceptance. By the way a religion that does not seek to make everyone Jews , Merely seeks her right to live according to her faith.
"And there is a religion, unfortunately, of violence, of terror, of jihad, it is the religion that Mansour Abbas represents. I have nothing to do with it, even if these two religions are called 'religion', it is not really the same thing. Again I say, I'm waiting for the day when the Israeli Arabs choose a different leadership. I know quite a few of them who think differently, but the fact is that half a million Israeli Arabs go to the polls every time and vote for the joint list. And the joint list and Mansour Abbas are the same in this respect, until yesterday he went with them. "Legitimate partners until they accept the state's Judaism and abandon support for our enemies and terrorism."
