Yoseph Haddad rejects past support for Palestinian state after old interview resurfaces

Journalist Mohammad Magadli circulated footage from an interview Haddad gave to Al-Arabiya more than five years ago, in which the Arab-Israeli public diplomacy activist said the eventual solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should include a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

In the old interview, Haddad argued that greater integration of Arab-Israelis into the country’s decision-making institutions could eventually help advance Israeli-Palestinian peace.

“The final solution is the State of Israel alongside the State of Palestine. Of course, this is something that has to happen. There is no denying it,” Haddad said in the interview.

Haddad, who joined Winter’s party in August and announced his ambition to become Israel’s public diplomacy minister, responded to the resurfaced video by saying his position had changed following the May 2021 riots during Operation Guardian of the Walls.

“When I saw the unity between Palestinians and Arabs from within who were setting mixed cities on fire, I changed my mind and understood that this was not the solution,” Haddad said.

He later expanded on his current position, saying that his shift regarding the Palestinians and the possibility of peace began during Guardian of the Walls.

People of Israel party leader Ofer Winter defended Haddad, calling him "my brother" and "the State of Israel's strongest public diplomacy fighter."

"I saw the things Yoseph Haddad said in past interviews before October 7," Winter said. "People write to me, go after him, remove him, throw Yoseph out, what hypocrisy, what a disgrace. You've lost the plot."

Winter also defended Haddad's character, saying, "A person who has done and continues to do so much for the State of Israel, who pays prices you would not believe for you, for us."

He argued that people should be able to change their views when circumstances change, particularly when they believe they are moving in the "right direction," and said he supported Haddad's shift in position.

"Friends, anyone who did not change his views after October 7 is ignorant and foolish," Winter said.

Winter also reaffirmed his party's opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state and reiterated a hardline position on Gaza, calling for a decisive victory, saying that "trucks will not enter Gaza," and pledging to ensure "voluntary migration."

Haddad’s political evolution quickly became ammunition for Winter’s rivals.

Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party attacked Winter and his slate, arguing that the resurfaced remarks exposed contradictions within the new right-wing party.

“Ofer Winter and his opposite,” the party said in a statement.

“Pro-conscription, but supports a draft-evasion government.

“Pro-‘responsibility,’ but supports the prime minister of October 7 and opposes a state commission of inquiry.

“Pro-‘settlement,’ but members of his party support a Palestinian state, and to this moment Winter has not even thought to call them to order or clarify the matter.”

Yashar accused Winter’s party of lacking “a value-based backbone and a path,” and claimed its objective was “to confuse the serving public and crawl into Netanyahu’s draft-evasion government.”

The attack follows previous criticism of Winter from Eisenkot’s camp. Eisenkot has argued that Winter’s positions contain contradictions, particularly because Winter has conditioned his participation in a future government on passage of a broad conscription law while remaining politically aligned with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Winter has publicly said that his party would not join a government unless legislation ending draft exemptions was passed first.

The resurfaced interview also prompted an unusual intervention from inside Channel 14.

Yitzhak Abuhatzira, editor of Channel 14’s website, published an article defending Haddad and accusing Likud and Religious Zionist Party chairman Bezalel Smotrich of turning against a figure they had previously praised because he now posed an electoral threat.

“The Israeli political system proves once again: Values end where the mandates begin,” he added.

The dispute comes as People of Israel seeks to establish itself as an independent force on the Right. Likud officials have previously expressed concern that Winter and Haddad could draw votes from established right-wing parties, particularly if their slate hovers around the electoral threshold. Political sources have estimated that part of Winter’s support is coming directly from Likud voters.

Haddad, meanwhile, has increasingly emphasized a political platform that combines strong Israeli national identification with greater integration of Arab Israelis. In a recent interview, he described his goal as building an Arab-Israeli “partnership” rather than “coexistence,” while drawing firm political red lines following October 7. He has described that approach as central to his bid to enter the Knesset.

The old Al-Arabiya footage nevertheless gives Winter’s opponents a new line of attack as the campaign enters its final weeks, while Haddad maintains that the views expressed in the interview no longer represent his position.

One point worth flagging for the desk: a second video was being circulated later Sunday that Magadli reportedly said was recorded after Operation Guardian of the Walls, potentially challenging Haddad’s stated timeline for his change of position. I left that development out of the copy because it wasn't in your supplied material, and the available reporting had not yet established the recording date conclusively.