An Arab doctor yes, an Arab minister no: The contradiction Israel must resolve | Yoram Dori

Yoram Dori argues in an opinion piece that Israeli society suffers from a contradiction: it trusts Arab doctors who save lives, but fears an Arab health minister. He presents moral and utilitarian justifications for integrating Israeli Arabs into leadership, and calls for leadership that changes prejudices instead of reflecting them.

Yoram Dori argues in an opinion piece in Maariv that Israeli society suffers from a contradiction: it trusts Arab doctors, paramedics, firefighters, and pharmacists who save lives, but fears integrating Arab politicians into the government. Dori notes that 27% of Israel's doctors are Arab, and asks why an Arab doctor can run a hospital but an Arab health minister is unthinkable. He presents two justifications for integrating Israeli Arabs into leadership: moral — democracy does not end at the ballot box, and blanket disqualification of political partnership with Arabs is a moral stain; and utilitarian — Israel cannot afford to forgo the talents of a fifth of its citizens, and their integration will strengthen the state. Dori rejects the claim that society is not ready, and calls for leadership that does not reflect prejudices but changes them. He concludes that whoever is good enough to save our lives is good enough to be a partner in managing them.