Pride and Prejudice: Why Eizenkot must not be the 'Right Kind of Moroccan' | Geula Even-Saar

"My mother is from Morocco, yes, from Morocco...". If you were children in the 80s, there is a good chance you remember the song by the band Tzeirei Kiryat Malachi, founded by Yair Rosenblum, who also composed the song written by Gadi Inbar. Unlike the band Tzeirei Tel Aviv, the band's songs were not lighthearted — they dealt with life itself: discrimination, unemployment, deprivation.

This week I remembered the beautiful girl with the powerful voice, hair tied with a clip, and a puffy pink shirt, who sang the song with intensity on "Zehu Ze". These days, an old and charming video is circulating on social media with the voice of Esther, Gadi Eizenkot's mother. She congratulates her son, who was chosen to be the Chief of Staff, wishes him success "with God's help", and explains that she found out late that he was appointed because she observes the Sabbath. A glimpse into the home where he grew up.

The video is very moving. A mother who sounds like a wonderful woman, who prays for her son's success, a man who comes from a home with tradition, roots, and identity. But the story is not the video, but its framing. How did it happen that just now there are those who are distributing this video with the framing: listen to what Esther Eizenkot, born in Morocco, says about her son.

Apparently, among the distributors are those who believe that Eizenkot's Moroccan origin is a political asset that helps his election. That if the public sees that he grew up in a traditional Moroccan home, they will connect with him more. Not because of his ideas, not because of his positions, not because of his experience — but because of his origin.

This is such a stupid concept. If he had a Polish, Russian, or Romanian mother, would that be a reason not to elect him? Does it make him less worthy? His origin is no substitute for a real discussion on the important questions: what are his positions? What is his worldview? How does he make decisions, and where does he want to lead the country?

Instead of arguing or dealing with a person's positions, they explain him through his origin. This is not new. For decades, there have been those who prefer to explain political choices through ethnic origin — instead of dealing with the positions, values, and considerations of the voters themselves.

Mob of 'Chachchachim'

Since the 1977 "upheaval" (Mahapach), when the Likud came to power, there were those who found it difficult to accept the fact that Mizrahi voters chose to give their political power to a party different from the one that ruled the country for decades. Instead of asking why this public chose as it did, cultural figures and politicians tried again and again to explain its choice using stereotypes.

This was, for example, the "Chachchachim" remark by Dudu Topaz during the 1981 election campaign. It was Labor party member Uri Orr, who after Ehud Barak's apology to the Mizrahi communities, explained in an interview with "Haaretz" why Barak's apology did not help: "I don't blame Ehud, but the Mizrahi communities. When I appear before them, I see their lack of interest in listening, understanding, and knowing life to know what is good and what is bad. When I say 'Mizrahi communities', I mainly mean the Moroccans. They are the biggest and most problematic community. They have no curiosity to know what is happening around them". Barak condemned, Orr apologized.

These were statements like those of Tikki Dayan in the 1999 elections about Likud voters as a "mob" (a statement for which she apologized). Later, Yair Garbuz's words about "amulet kissers" were also said. That is, right-wing Mizrahi voters were presented as if they were acting out of ignorance and not out of a solid political position.

The problem is not only in the offensive statements themselves. The problem is in the deep concept behind them: that a Mizrahi voter who votes "correctly", that is, for the worldview of the speaker from the Left, is an intelligent, aware, and critical person. But a Mizrahi voter who chooses otherwise is a result of manipulation, lack of knowledge, or weakness, or just a captive of a cult. Part of an ignorant herd.

Prescription from the doctor

These are not "once upon a time" stories. This has not disappeared. Even today, one can encounter from time to time, and even more so during election periods, the same condescending attitude. For example, this week the racist post of a man named Dr. Dubi Laxman starred, who compared in a tweet Likud voters to monkeys and even ranked them by types. According to his "race theory", it turns out there are baboons, these are the lowest. And in his words: "Baboons, the main layer, the low one, mostly Mizrahi, Moroccan dominance, stall owners, violent, feeble-minded, full of rage and inferiority complexes".

One level above them (according to the doctor's diagnosis), chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans. "The latter are the most developed", the doctor diagnosed, but what can you do if even they, according to him, are "driven by fear and herd behavior". Perhaps you will say, and rightly so, who is Laxman anyway and what weight do his words have. The man is really nothing at all, but I suspect he is really not alone in the racist "evolutionary theory" he is weaving.

Make no mistake, on election day the very same people whom Mr. Laxman looks down on and is racist towards will be very welcome and worthy in his eyes — if only they vote correctly. That is, for any party that is not the Likud. And preferably also not for a right-wing party that is part of the coalition. If they don't vote correctly, they are probably just inferior monkeys.

Unfortunately, even today there are those who are looking for the "right Moroccan", the "right Mizrahi". It is one of two: either the one who will defeat Benjamin Netanyahu, or the one who will not vote for him. The problematic Mizrahi (the doctor's baboon) is the one who supports Bibi in every election campaign. He is presented as someone who doesn't understand anything in life, who doesn't understand reality. When this is the discourse in 2026, a moment before elections, it says quite a lot about Israeli society.

Gadi Eizenkot does not need to be judged by the home in which he grew up or by his mother's origin, nor by his family tradition. It does him an injustice. He should be judged by his values, the decisions he has made so far, the experience he has accumulated, the positions he presents, and the question of his ability to lead the State of Israel.

Just as a Polish, Russian, or any other home of a candidate for Prime Minister is no substitute for a work plan, experience, and skills — so too the Moroccan home in which Eizenkot grew up is part of his life story, but is not a work plan for the country.