Netanyahu vs. Bahloul: He’s no Zionist

Prime Minister Netanyahu attacks Zuheir Bahloul, a Labor Party candidate and radio and TV personality, over a character witness testimony he once gave praising the family of a man suspected of aiding Hezbollah.

In his testimony, Bahloul distanced himself from the actions of suspect Milad Hatib but said his family did much to increase Jewish-Arab coexistence.

Netanyahu, who usually avoids personal attacks on candidates – especially ones like Bahloul, who is a newcomer and was placed low on the list at number 17 – takes to social media and posts a video clip where he says Bahloul’s testimony was “another piece of evidence on the anti-Zionist nature of the left wing list headed by Tzipi [Livni] and Buji [Isaac Herzog].”

Livni and Herzog merged their respective parties, Hatnua and Labor, to form a new list, which they have dubbed the “Zionist Camp.” Consequently, right-wing attacks on the party in recent weeks have focused on discrediting its Zionist credentials.

The Haifa District Court sentenced Hatib to seven years in jail, after Hatib admitted to passing information on the location of rockets strikes to a Hezbollah agent, as well as on the schedule of a visit by then president Shimon Peres to the northern village of Majd al-Krum.

Bahloul, who testified in Match 2013, expressed his anguish and said: “I was more than shocked when I heard about the defendant. I don’t know if he strayed from the path or shuns his family, but this family is not the one that should have brought the defendant to where he is today. It is unbecoming of a family that brought together Jews and Arabs, really the salt of the Earth.”