Perhaps this man is running for elections in the wrong country. Journalist Kalman Liebskind interviewed Member of Knesset Sami Abu Shahadeh (Balad – on the Joint List) and here is how it went (English below the Tweet):
קלמן ליבסקינד לח”כ אבו-שחאדה: אתה בעד ביטול חוק השבות?
– כן
בעד ביטול דגל ישראל כמו שהוא נראה היום?
– נכון
בעד ביטול ההמנון כמו שהוא היום?
– כן. צריך לעשות שינוי רציני במבנה הגזעני שמפלה לטובת היהודים ולבנות מודל דמוקרטי יותר טוב@KalmanLiebskind @roysharon11 #קלמןליברמן pic.twitter.com/BYPWYKfYag— כאן | רשת ב (@ReshetBet) August 21, 2022
The first section of the Tweet is about Balad’s conditions for their continued joint run for the next elections. That is followed by another tweet in the thread that reads:
Kalman Liebskind to Member of Knesset Sami Abu Shahadeh: Are you in favour of rescinding the Settlement Law?
— Yes
Are you in favour of abolishing the Israeli flag as it appears today?
— Yes
Are you in favour of abolishing the national anthem as it is today?
— Yes. we need to make major changes in the racist structure that discriminates in favour of the Jews and build a better model of democracy.
Well, let me suggest to Abu Shahadeh that he can easily cancel the Settlement Law, the flag and the national anthem by selecting to move to any country around the globe that does not define itself as a Jewish country.
I suppose the model of democracy he wishes to strive for is one such as found in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt or any of the other neighbourly countries around us providing good examples to seek to achieve.
Any individual who chooses to serve in their country’s government takes an oath of office as part of assuming that privilege and responsibility. In Israel, the oath states: “I commit to be faithful to the State of Israel and to fulfill with devotion my cause in the Knesset,” to which the MK is supposed to respond: “I commit.”
In the past, members of the Joint List have typically added their own versions, such as, “I commit to fight the occupation.” This has caused uproars in the Knesset but it does not appear to have led to any significant sanctions or consequences.
I fully believe in free speech, so I do not really have a problem with Abu Shahadeh and his ilk — I have a problem with us — we let him serve in our Knesset and we pay his salary.
Feature Image Credit: אמיר דיב – Amir Deeb, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Last modified: August 21, 2022
