Ben-Gvir's Call to Disqualify Arab Party Fueled by Internal Arab Criticism

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's request to disqualify the United Arab List (Ra'am) and its leader, Mansour Abbas, is more dangerous than it appears, according to Dr. Kamel Rayan, head of the Aman Center. Rayan argues that the request comes amid a political and public climate that has long been preparing the ground for exclusion, potentially making disqualification a popular demand rather than just an electoral committee decision. This situation is particularly concerning given the current sensitive electoral timing and political uncertainty in Israel, where past assumptions about the Supreme Court upholding such decisions may no longer hold true.

The core danger, Rayan contends, lies not just in the legal outcome but in the normalization of disqualification as a legitimate tool in political conflict. He highlights a disturbing parallel: while Ben-Gvir openly seeks to ban Ra'am from elections, certain Arab factions are working to delegitimize the party and Abbas through public discourse. This involves portraying Ra'am as a threat to the Arab community, repeating unsubstantiated claims until they are perceived as facts, and attempting to strip Abbas of his political legitimacy.

Rayan distinguishes between legitimate political disagreement and harmful incitement, distortion, and fabrication. He argues that when political rivalry devolves into a campaign to delegitimize a party and its leadership, it constitutes a form of "popular disqualification" that precedes official action. While Ben-Gvir aims to block Ra'am via official channels, some Arab groups are attempting to achieve a similar outcome by eroding public trust and convincing voters that the party and its leadership are illegitimate.

The author stresses that the goal should be political defeat through offering a better alternative, not the elimination of a party's right to exist. He warns that the constant use of distortion and defamation weakens the entire Arab political sphere and provides ammunition for those seeking to exclude Arab representation. Rayan calls for a clear line between competition and disqualification, criticism and defamation, emphasizing that elections are a test of democracy itself.

Ultimately, Rayan concludes that the issue extends beyond Ra'am, questioning whether Arab voters will retain their right to choose even when their selections displease opponents. He suggests that Ben-Gvir's disqualification efforts might be inadvertently aided by certain Arab rhetoric that fuels exclusion, placing a moral and political responsibility on all parties to recognize the potential consequences of their words and actions.