Arab parties should be part of next Israeli government, Reform Judaism leader says
“A lot of people voted practically, and to say we want whoever can pose a significant enough bloc or be able to replace Netanyahu,” Rabbi Josh Weinberg, of the Union for Reform Judaism, told JNS
Assessment
A Reform Judaism leader is publicly arguing that Arab political parties belong in Israel's next governing coalition. This pushes against a longstanding norm in Israeli politics where Arab-majority parties have been excluded from government. Rabbi Josh Weinberg frames the 2022 election as a practical vote for a bloc large enough to replace Benjamin Netanyahu. The statement signals that some American Jewish leaders are willing to challenge Israeli political conventions to achieve a leadership change.