Alona Barkat
Alona BarkatFlash 90

Alona Barkat, the owner of the Hapoel Be'er Sheva soccer team who last week joined the New Right party of Ayelet Shaked and Naftali Bennett, on Sunday revealed some of her political views for the first time.

"A few weeks ago, Ayelet and Naftali approached me, I felt a wonderful connection to them, that we speak the same language and that we have the same values, and we all want to bring about change. That’s how it came about,” Barkat told Channel 12 News in an interview.

"I am coming to be a public emissary. It is a right to be in the Knesset, I want to advance our agenda and lead a social revolution, and I will do so in any role for which I am chosen," said Barkat, who added that her main goal is “to lead a social revolution in every possible field. That means giving every child everywhere the opportunity to fulfill himself."

On the issue of public transportation on Shabbat, she said, "I believe that the status quo must be maintained, but at the same time, in places that want to lead change, I believe that through dialogue we can do it too.” On rights of the LGBT community, she noted that "we need to find the place for everyone to feel comfortable and feel that their rights are carried out."

Barkat rejected the claims that the Nationality Law is racist, saying, "The law speaks of the State of Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people. There is the Declaration of Independence, which speaks of equality for all citizens of the State. At the same time, I understand the feelings and know them and am sure we'll find the right formula for everyone to feel comfortable with.”

"I can say that I received messages from a lot of people, but two of them were particularly moving and they came from our Arab players who told me that they know and are sure that I will also bring to Israeli politics the same things I brought to Hapoel Be’er Sheva."

Regarding the Arab-Israeli conflict, Barkat said, "I am against a Palestinian state, period. At the moment there is no partner so all the suggestions I am hearing are irrelevant.”

Regarding the toppling of the Hamas regime in Gaza, she said, "I think we all understand - we do not want there to be a terror regime that is so close to us, there are military people who are responsible for this thing and I do not want to get into things that other people have to give solutions for."

Barkat also said that there is no “religionization” in the Israeli education system.

“I do not think there is religionization. I think that you and I both want our children to learn about our tradition, the Jewish tradition - learn Tanach, Siddur, Tefillah and know what Kiddush is and know what the Jewish holidays are. What's wrong with that? It's just as important as studying civics or grammar or math."