Jewish Power Party Seeks to Disqualify Arab Party and Leader from Knesset Elections

The far-right Otzma Yehudit party, led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, has submitted a formal request to the Central Elections Committee to disqualify the Arab party Ra'am and its leader, MK Mansour Abbas, from competing in the upcoming 26th Knesset elections. The 39-page petition alleges that new evidence links non-profit organizations associated with Ra'am to Hamas and other terrorist groups.

Otzma Yehudit claims that Ra'am rejects Israel's existence as a Jewish state and supports armed conflict against it by enemy states and terrorist organizations. The petition specifically cites a report from the Registrar of Non-Profits concerning the "Siyua 48" association, which Otzma Yehudit asserts has direct ties to Ra'am and details financial transfers and cooperation with terrorist entities. The party also alleges ideological links between Ra'am, the southern faction of the Islamic Movement, and the Muslim Brotherhood.

The applicants contend that organizations like "Siyua 48" and "Al-Ma'asim Al-Humanitariyya" have funded Hamas and other terrorist groups with millions of shekels. The petition references past Supreme Court rulings on disqualifying candidates, arguing that the current threshold for disqualification is too high, especially after the October 7th attacks. They point to the case of Azmi Bishara as an example of what they perceive as lenient application of the law, allowing individuals with alleged ties to enemies of Israel to serve in the Knesset.

Otzma Yehudit characterizes Mansour Abbas as a member of the Muslim Brotherhood who presents a deceptive image to the Jewish public. They highlight a past exchange in the Knesset where Abbas challenged Ben-Gvir to prove any funding to terrorist organizations. The party claims that substantial evidence has since emerged demonstrating that Ra'am-affiliated organizations have indeed financed Hamas and other terrorist groups.

Furthermore, the petition requests the disclosure of Shin Bet and police investigations into Ra'am, Abbas, and their associated organizations. Otzma Yehudit accuses Abbas of employing a "two-voice method," speaking one way to Israelis to avoid disqualification and another way to Arab audiences. Minister Ben-Gvir stated that the time has come to enforce the law and disqualify "the terrorist organization called Ra'am and its leader, the Muslim Brotherhood man Mansour Abbas."