Ra'am Party Leader Abbas Vows to Fight Election Committee Disqualification at Supreme Court

Mansour Abbas, the leader of the Arab Israeli party Ra'am, has responded to the Central Elections Committee's decision to disqualify his party from participating in the upcoming Knesset elections. Abbas denounced the ruling as "political, invalid, and anti-democratic," asserting it was made against the Attorney General's position and based on "false accusations and fabrications." He vowed to refute these claims at the Supreme Court, stating, "We will refute these claims in the High Court, as we have done in the past."

Abbas suggested the disqualification was a political maneuver by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he referred to as "Abu Yair," to prevent the formation of a future "change government." He recalled Netanyahu's past cooperation with Ra'am in previous election cycles, including personal negotiations, implying a shift in strategy. Abbas emphasized Ra'am's commitment to promoting partnership and coexistence between Arabs and Jews, framing the disqualification as an attempt to undermine this process.

The Central Elections Committee's decision, passed by a vote of 18 to 5, followed a petition filed by bereaved families. The forum representing these families, "Choosing Life," presented a comprehensive study alleging serious ties between Ra'am and organizations linked to terrorism. The forum criticized the Attorney General's stance, calling it a "disgrace" for attempting to legitimize Ra'am even after the research presented direct links to terrorist elements.

The "Choosing Life" forum urged the Supreme Court to uphold the committee's decision, stating, "The Knesset is not a sanctuary for supporters of terrorism. The State of Israel must choose life." The disqualification of Ra'am comes amid other disqualification petitions against individuals like Ofer Cassif and Sami Abu Shehadeh. However, past election cycles suggest the Supreme Court often overturns such disqualification rulings.