Look Who’s Talking Now

An Israeli MK is giving a speech today where he will talk about the discrimination and racism faced by Israeli Arab citizens, forthrightly declare that they are integral and indispensable parts of Israeli society, and recognize the real and true trauma faced by Palestinians coinciding with the creation of Israel. On its own, this isn’t all that noteworthy — Israel has a vibrant political culture with members of the Knesset occupying literally every imaginable political niche. What makes this speech different is who is giving it: Speaker of the Knesset Reuven Rivlin, a member of the right-wing Likud party. The lines Rivlin gives sound more of Meretz vintage to me, yet Rivlin is a conservative of unimpeachable credentials. It is the sort of speech which may represent a tipping point in Israeli political society. If Rivlin can talk like this, it indicates that the political will for reconciliation has finally penetrated every significant section of the Israeli political map. And that’s the child, I think, of two forces: first, the creation of Kadima as the first Israeli party whose reason for existence is to hammer out a realistic, lasting peace, which affected a significant and lasting change in Israel’s political landscape; and second, President Obama’s bold decision to put Mideast peace on the front-burner and no longer let any actor — Israeli, Jew, Palestinian, or Arab — duck the question of precisely where they stand on the future of the region.

So kudos to Mr. Rivlin, and may the ball keep rolling.