For a few weeks now, Arab society in Israel has been waging a vile discourse of hatred and racism around religion and society's views on the LGBTQ community. The boycott of Al-Arz tehina and the law making "conversion therapy" illegal have lit up Arabic-language newspapers and social media networks, exposing deep schisms between different social views and, to a large extent, a lack of confidence in the political leadership.
Discussions about the law banning conversion therapy have underscored the extent to which MKs from the Joint Arab List, who actually represent four different parties, differ in their opinions. Chairman of the Joint Arab List Ayman Odeh and two of his ministers opted to vote for the bill, which tagged them in conservative circles as supporters of a "dangerous" phenomenon. Despite Odeh's attempts to explain the details of the bill and explain his vote, his words fell on deaf ears. If we're truthful, when some members of the ultra-conservative wing of Arab Israeli society describe members of the LGBTQ community as "dead," it's hard to start a dialogue with them.
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Despite the political partnership and the "national unity" between Hadash and the Southern Branch of the Islamic Movement, it didn't take long for them to butt heads. Odeh was attacked, and supporters of the Islamic Movement didn't hold back on Quran quotes and other Islamic writings to justify the worst fates for LGBTQ individuals. But the real problem for the Islamic Movement members was their need to defend themselves against the huge backlash they faced for running the same list as a secular, progressive party like Hadash.
The two other parties on the joint list – Ta'al, under Ahmad Tibi, and Balad, which sees itself as secular and a defender of civil and human rights – have kept out of the public debate about the law. Tibi, a doctor by profession, has bitten his tongue and flown under the media radar in a manner that goes against both his beliefs and his conduct since he entered politics.
But the biggest surprise came from Balad, which always espoused individual rights and personal liberties for everyone. MK Heba Yazbak, who has a background as a social worker, was not only absent from the Knesset during the vote but also refused to speak out or be interviewed, either for or against the legislation. After a week marked by very harsh discourse in Arab society, Balad chairman Dr. Mtanes Shihadeh, wrote a post in which he apologized for his party's stance, attacked Odeh, and claimed that the joint list had failed this particular test because it had not discussed the bill ahead of time.
On this point, Shihadeh is correct. Despite the disputes, the Arab public is still waiting to hear from their MKs, who failed when they did not discuss the legislation among themselves, and erred when they did not try to steer conversation about it toward a discussion of the rights of the individual in society, tolerance, and recognition of others. We are all aware of the complexity, as well as the political, media, and cultural dilemmas the Arab MKs face. But evading this discussion, especially in the face of such hateful discourse, means evading responsibility and leadership.
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