Talia Bartfeld, the comedian and actress known for her role in "HaMefakedet" (The Commander), posted a video to social media on Sunday in which she sharply criticized the sweeping rejection of including Arab parties in an Israeli government.
In the video, Bartfeld challenged the common political argument against sitting with Arabs in a coalition, and asked what connection they have to the political and social crises Israel has experienced in recent years: "My dream is that someone will explain to me the connection between Israeli Arabs and all the garbage we've eaten in recent years. Just don't sit with the Arabs, just don't sit with the Arabs. Was it the Arabs who passed budgets illegally in the middle of the night? Are the Arabs the ones who received money from enemy states into their private pockets? Did the Arabs try to pass a reform that tore the nation apart? Are they the ones who sat in government when the greatest disaster in the State of Israel happened to us?"
Bartfeld went on to call on opponents to stop using political excuses and admit the real motive, as she sees it: "I want to understand what the big deal is with sitting with Arabs, let's argue. Just say 'I don't want to sit with Arabs in government because I'm a racist' --- that's an argument I'll accept. Let's move forward and find a new excuse, because this one just isn't acceptable."
The video drew heated responses on social media and reignited the public debate over the legitimacy of political partnership with the Arab community in Israel.
