What more do we want from them? A coalition with the Arabs is a necessity

Shimon Sheves argues that integrating the Arab parties into the coalition is a moral and strategic necessity, citing a brother from Kafr Qasim, voting data and national service, and Mansour Abbas's willingness to accept Eisenkot's conditions.

Shimon Sheves argues in an opinion piece on Walla! that integrating the Arab parties into the coalition is a moral and strategic necessity. He opens with a personal story about a brother from Kafr Qasim who wants to integrate into Israeli society, and notes that Arabs saved lives on October 7, voted at a rate of 77% compared to 53% in 2022, and hold vital positions such as a quarter of the doctors in Israel. Sheves mentions the budget cuts to Arab society by Smotrich, the violence in the sector under Ben Gvir, and Mansour Abbas's willingness to accept Gadi Eisenkot's coalition conditions, including national service. He warns that rejecting the Arabs will lead to their disconnection from the state, and quotes US Vice President JD Vance as linking Israel's treatment of Arabs to the Republican loss in the midterm elections. The article concludes with a call to reach out to the Arabs as a sign of change in direction.