National Security Minister Ben-Gvir Seeks to Disqualify Arab Party Ra'am

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, leading the Otzma Yehudit party, has submitted a formal request to the Central Elections Committee to disqualify the Arab political party Ra'am and its leader, MK Mansour Abbas, from participating in the upcoming 26th Knesset elections. The 39-page petition, filed by attorneys Ze'ev Wolf and David Bavli, argues that Ra'am denies Israel's existence as a Jewish state and supports armed struggle against it.

The request cites a report from the Registrar of Associations concerning the "Siyua 48" organization, which is allegedly directly linked to Ra'am. Otzma Yehudit claims this report details financial transfers and cooperation with terrorist groups. The petition further asserts direct ties between Ra'am, the southern faction of the Islamic Movement, and affiliated organizations, including ideological links to the Muslim Brotherhood. It alleges that organizations connected to Ra'am, such as "Siyua 48" and "Humanitarian Deeds," have transferred millions of shekels to Hamas and other terrorist organizations.

Otzma Yehudit criticizes the high evidentiary threshold set by the Supreme Court over the years for disqualifying candidates and lists. They contend that even explicit support for "resistance" during the October 7th massacre might not have led to disqualification due to the requirement of a "critical mass" of evidence. The party also references the case of former MK Azmi Bishara, arguing that despite his statements and accumulated evidence, the Supreme Court repeatedly allowed him to run, characterizing this as judicial leniency towards parties and candidates supporting enemies and denying Israel's Jewish character.

The petition also points to statements by Mansour Abbas, which the requesters claim demonstrate he only acknowledges Israel's Jewish character declaratively to avoid disqualification, while refusing to define Hamas as a terrorist organization. Otzma Yehudit labels this a "two-voice" approach, with one message for the Israeli public and another for the Arab public. The request also includes a past Knesset confrontation where Ben-Gvir warned of security agency negligence regarding Ra'am's activities, and Abbas responded by challenging proof of funds reaching terrorists.

As part of the process, Otzma Yehudit is demanding that the Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Justice Noam Sohlberg, order the disclosure of Shin Bet and police investigations concerning Ra'am, Abbas, and their affiliated organizations. Ben-Gvir stated, "The legislator had his say years ago, but the court ignored the law, legitimized dozens of terrorists here and allowed them to serve in the Knesset. The time has come to say enough. The time has come to implement the law and disqualify the terrorist organization called Ra'am and its leader, the Muslim Brotherhood man Mansour Abbas."