Arab-Israeli journalist and wounded Golani veteran Yosef Haddad publicly rejected MK Gadi Eisenkot's comparison between him and former Ra'am chairman Mansour Abbas, accusing Eisenkot of equating them solely on the basis of shared Arab identity. Haddad cited his IDF service, his advocacy for Israel, and contrasted Abbas's party's alleged ties to terror groups.
Arab-Israeli journalist and activist Yosef Haddad issued a pointed response Thursday evening to MK Gadi Eisenkot (National Unity) after Eisenkot compared Haddad to former Ra'am chairman Mansour Abbas. Haddad, a wounded Golani infantry veteran, posted a statement on social media demanding to know whether Eisenkot drew the comparison solely because they are both Arab.
"You compare me to Mansour Abbas because we're both Arab?" Haddad wrote. He noted that while he is a wounded IDF soldier and veteran who founded an Israeli Arab organization advocating for partnership and hashem, Abbas's party is linked — according to published investigations — to the funding of terror organizations including Hamas. Haddad said he objects to any attempt to "whitewash" Abbas by using him as a reference point.
The controversy has drawn reactions from across the political spectrum. Earlier Thursday, former IDF general Ofer Winter criticized Eisenkot directly, saying Haddad is not Abbas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Abbas as a "Hamas supporter" and Haddad as a "hero of Israel wounded in Lebanon." A Telegram post earlier argued that distinguishing between the two is not racism, but that conflating all Arabs would be.
Haddad's statement adds a personal dimension to a political dispute that has been unfolding over the past day. The background of the incident remains Eisenkot's original remark, which has not been published in full by the sources tracked.
2 developments
- DevelopingYosef Haddad reportedly explains to Eisenkot: the difference from Abbas is 'simple'
- DevelopingPatriots poll: 96% of viewers say Eisenkot's comparison of Haddad to Abbas is racist
- DevelopingTelegram post tells Eisenkot: distinguishing Haddad from Abbas isn't racism, but lumping all Arabs together is
- DevelopingEisenkot Clarifies: Yosef Haddad Is a Zionist Who Served in Golani, Dismisses Critics
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