Coalition Chairman David Bitan (Likud) sparked outrage Saturday after saying he would prefer it if Israeli Arabs did not vote in the general election. "I would rather they [Israeli Arabs] didn't arrive at the polls in droves -- or not at all, for that matter," Bitan said at a cultural event held in the Jerusalem suburb of Mevaseret Zion. "Ninety-five percent of them vote for the Joint Arab List, which doesn't represent Israeli Arabs, but rather Palestinian interests." Asked whether he thought that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's call to the public to vote on Election Day in March 2015 over the fact that "Arabs are going to the polls in droves," was appropriate, Bitan said he agreed with the sentiment. "Yes, I think it was appropriate, given the result and how 95% [of Israeli Arabs] voted for the Joint Arab List, which was unprecedented," he said. Joint Arab List leader Ayman Odeh blasted Bitan's remarks as racist. "Bitan, the man who turned himself into the prime minister's mouthpiece, continues to prove that all this [Likud] leadership has to offer is blatant racism and cheap populism. His pathetic daily statements reflect the prime minister's concerns over the fact we are growing politically stronger. Faced with this kind of racism, we are obligated to continue fostering our political power." Joint Arab List MK Jamal Zahalka said, "No one is doing us a favor by 'allowing' us the votes. This country should be grateful that we take part in parliament and the elections. Our public will give the appropriate response, and we will go to the polls in droves come election day." Opposition Leader Isaac Herzog (Zionist Union) lambasted Bitan, saying, "It appears that racism has metastasized into the heart of Israeli society, and is shaming the supporters of both the Right and the Left. I find it hard to believe that Netanyahu, who waited a week to respond to the coalition chairman's claim that [Prime Minister Yitzhak] Rabin's assassination was not a political murder, would say anything now, when his coalition chair and political confidant drafts a new racist manifesto." Zionist Union MK Tzipi Livni leveled harsh criticism at Bitan, saying, "Likud in 2016 is light-years away from what the original Herut [party] and the Likud used to stand for. Netanyahu has lost all sense of shame in the recent election, and he has allowed the rest to compete over who can undermine Israeli society the most." Zionist Union MK Zouheir Bahloul filed a complaint against Bitan with Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit. "The coalition chairman is a symbol of government, not an independent person. The statements made by MK Bitan reflect a growing desire by the government to push the Arab public outside the bounds of legitimacy and gnaw at its most basic rights. This is a test of all gatekeepers, who must prove Israeli democracy cannot be trampled upon," Bahloul's grievance said. "Bitan says what Netanyahu thinks," Meretz MK Issawi Frej said. "This is the true face of the government that has no interest in democracy ... a government that openly strives to make Israel a racist apartheid state, where the right to vote and freedom of speech are reserved only to faithful Jews who chant King Bibi's slogans." MK Omer Bar-Lev (Zionist Union) noted that "Bitan would like to see Israel without Arabs, then without leftists and finally without any political party other than Likud." Deputy Knesset Speaker MK Yoel Hasson (Zionist Union) said, "David Bitan is the prime minister's special agent in charge of distracting [the public] from the important questions. Luckily, he has a loyal emissary like Bitan, and luckily there's racism to use and easily inflame Israeli society, thus concealing the real issues." Later on Saturday, Bitan addressed his controversial comments in an interview with Army Radio. "I don't understand what all the fuss is about. It's natural for a political party to wish its opponents were not going to the polls in droves. That's all. I think Labor would like to see fewer Likud supporters vote and vice versa. "Unfortunately, when he [Netanyahu] said that comment [on Arab voters] their voter turnout was 97%, which was really high for one party, while voter turnout among Jewish voters was significantly lower. That was why he said that, otherwise they would have won 18 mandates. All and all things turned out well." Speaking with Channel 10 later on Saturday, Bitan stressed he "wasn't suggesting we deny Arabs the right to vote. This is a democratic country, and you can see that despite their vote we [Likud] still won 30 mandates and the Right in general won over 60 seats. Still, I would have preferred lower [voter] turnout." Odeh blasted Bitan again, saying, "He is the real racist; he didn't even attend [late Israeli president Shimon] Peres' funeral."
