Interviewed on Kol Chai radio station in July 28, Moti Dotan, the leader of Lower Galilee Council, said “I don’t hate Arabs, but I don’t want them at my pools. I don’t go to their pools, either.”
He said he was not being being racist but said his views were a result of “cultural differences” taking into account different clothing conventions and “hygiene cultures”.
Following the subsequent outcry, the local politician apologised on Facebook saying: “Yesterday during a radio broadcast I was asked about the homogenous population that patronises the pools in the council’s towns. In my response, I addressed the cultural differences between the populations and their conduct at the pool. Unfortunately, it’s possible that I was misunderstood, and may have had a slip of the tongue. In any case, I apologise to anyone who felt offended.”
His original comments were condemned by MK Youssef Jabareen from the Joint (Arab) List parliamentary faction, which has demanded Mr Dotan’s immediate resignation. Mr Jabareen said in a statement: “The comments by the head of the Lower Galilee Regional Council are incitement to racism. “In addition to being morally unacceptable, it is a criminal offense and I ask that the attorney general open a criminal investigation.”
