Zahalka embarrasses himself

The fit of anger that overtook Joint Arab List MK Jamal Zahalka on Tuesday at the sight of Jews entering the Temple Mount compound marked yet another episode in a series of embarrassing outbursts. It is still not clear whether Zahalka simply loses control or if he is doing this intentionally.

The first time was on the TV news program that I host, "Erev Hadash," when there were those skeptics who claimed that I tempted him into hinting that the defense minister was sitting calmly by while Palestinian children were being killed in Gaza and that northern Tel Aviv is actually Sheikh Munis. But since then, he lost his cool time and time again, and it became clear that this man is not being pushed into such behavior, rather it all comes from within him.

Zahalka's rage on Tuesday was in complete contrast to his description of himself. He calls himself as an atheist, and if that's true, than why does the presence of Jewish people near Al-Aqsa mosque upset him so much? There is no other conclusion to make aside from the fact that it's not Al-Aqsa or Islam driving him, rather his anti-Semitic hatred and hostility toward Israel. This sets of his tongue, which knows no restraint.

The same is true for his colleague, Joint Arab List MK Hanin Zoabi, who used to her end the description of Israel as a "Nazi regime," forgetting that Arabs in Israel were the only ones in all humanity to support Adolf Hitler of their own free will -- and not because they were conquered -- under the leadership of Haj Amin al-Husseini.

Are Zahalka's outbursts within his control or are they stronger than him? There is no way to know. To find out, he would need a professional psychiatric evaluation. Both possibilities may be true -- sometimes he may be in control and sometimes not. Regardless, Zahalka holds a doctorate in pharmacy from the Zionist university that was established 90 years ago on Mount Scopus, overlooking Al-Aqsa -- so he would know better than others if he needs some kind of medication, and if so, which one.

At the bottom of it, his crass behavior is his own issue, though the public suffers from it. The more important question is whether this type of behavior is embarrassing his family or whether it is actually enhancing his status among the public. If it becomes clear that it is serving him well, then Israeli politics will soon bear witness to further crudeness from his colleagues and competitors among the Arab MKs.

Still, aside from the police's duty to thwart attacks on peaceful citizens, the Knesset should not take further action against Zahalka or Zoabi. In the eyes of the reasonable public, Zahalka is doing more damage to himself than any court sentence could manage to do. For the sake of the Israeli Arab public, we must hope that most are embarrassed of such a representative and do not support him. I have heard from Jewish people that their Arab friends called and apologized for sending a man like that to the Knesset.