Statement is rare instance of a prominent Jewish political leader taking a strong stand in defence of Arab Israelis

Israeli prime ministerial hopeful Gadi Eisenkot accused caretaker premier Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday of fuelling a “racist” campaign against the country’s Arab minority, after he sought to delegitimise the community’s lawmakers by linking them to Hamas.

Eisenkot’s statement was a rare instance of a prominent Jewish political leader taking a strong stand in defence of Arab Israelis, who make up more than 20% of the population.