Netanyahu coalition reportedly moves to ban Ra'am party from elections over terror links

Efforts are reportedly underway by officials close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to disqualify the United Arab List (Ra'am) party and its chairman, Mansour Abbas, from participating in future Israeli elections. The initiative, reported by Channel 13, stems from legal efforts to designate Ra'am's parent organization, the Southern Faction of the Islamic Movement in Israel, as a terrorist group.

These legal battles are primarily fueled by unproven allegations that the Southern Faction sent funds to Gaza, which could potentially support Hamas. If the Southern Faction is designated a terrorist entity, Ra'am would consequently be barred from running in elections. The Prime Minister's office has not yet issued any public comment on the report.

Mansour Abbas, chairman of Ra'am, strongly condemned the reported move, stating that Netanyahu seeks to influence the upcoming elections through anti-democratic means. He asserted that the Shin Bet should maintain professionalism and legality, protecting democratic institutions rather than serving political interests during an election period. Abbas vowed that Ra'am's response to this alleged anti-democratic action would be at the ballot box.

The Southern Faction, established in 1996, emerged from a split within the Islamic Movement in Israel. While the Southern Faction chose to participate in Israeli politics through Ra'am, focusing on Arab civic integration, crime, and municipal funding, the Northern Faction, led by Sheik Raed Salah, rejected participation in the Knesset. Israeli authorities have increasingly associated the Northern Faction with incitement and support for Hamas-linked activism, leading to its outlawing in 2015.

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Netanyahu aims to decide the upcoming elections by disqualifying Ra'am in an anti-democratic manner. It is the duty of the Shin Bet to act with statesmanlike professionalism and legality, safeguard the democratic order and its institutions, and refuse to serve as a tool of the political echelon during an election period. Our response to this anti-democratic move will be at the ballot box.