In video that was widely shared on social media, Bezalel Smotrich an openly anti-Arab racist member of Knesset attacked Arab members of Knesset stating: “You’re only here by mistake, because Ben-Gurion didn’t finish the job, didn’t throw you out in ’48. I have no dialogue with you at all”.
Smotrich words are dangerous. They constitute a veiled threat of expulsion and ethnic cleansing against the Arab citizens of Israel who constitute about 20 percent of the population and are native to the land. The problem with this statement besides of its racist overtones, is that it is tolerated by Israeli politicians as “freedom of speech” and is normalized as part of Israeli political discourse. Smotrich words are not fringe politics in Israel, rather the mainstream. This is why the world must pay attention and hold Israeli government and leaders accountable for such hateful speech. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHuvNhOxYRg
