Ra'am Leader Mansour Abbas Refuses to Say Hamas Must Be Destroyed in Heated Interview

Mansour Abbas, chairman of the Ra'am party and member of the Knesset, faced a tense exchange during a Tuesday interview on Kan 11 with host Esti Perez Ben-Ami. Repeatedly pressed to explicitly state whether Hamas is a terrorist organization that should be destroyed following the October 7 attacks, Abbas initially avoided a direct answer. He argued that the persistent questioning served the agenda of Israel's far-right, aiming to delegitimize him and his party.

Perez Ben-Ami pressed Abbas to clearly condemn Hamas for the massacre of Israeli civilians, both Jewish and Arab, on October 7 and to call for its elimination. Abbas responded that Ra'am condemned the crimes of October 7 and works to maintain coexistence between Israeli citizens and to secure the release of hostages. He emphasized his commitment to equality for Arab citizens and peace between Palestinians and Israelis.

When asked again if Hamas is a terrorist group that should be destroyed, Abbas acknowledged Hamas as a terrorist organization but rejected the framing of the question, accusing the interviewer of playing into the hands of far-right figures such as Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir. He insisted he has his own clear values and positions but criticized the repeated tests of his loyalty as unfair and divisive.

The interview ended with Abbas accusing the media of trying to pit Arab citizens against others and warned against fueling hostility. He said, "Do you want us to be enemies? Do you want us under attack? That is complete foolishness." The confrontation highlights the ongoing political tensions surrounding Arab representation in Israel and the challenges Abbas faces amid rising right-wing pressure.

Summary: Mansour Abbas, Ra'am leader, declined to explicitly say Hamas should be destroyed during a heated Kan 11 interview, citing attempts to delegitimize him by the far right. He condemned the October 7 attacks but emphasized coexistence and peace efforts, acknowledging Hamas as a terrorist group but rejecting the framing of the question. The exchange underscored political tensions over Arab-Israeli relations.

Points: - Mansour Abbas refused to directly say Hamas must be destroyed despite repeated questioning. - Abbas condemned the October 7 attacks and called for coexistence and peace. - He acknowledged Hamas as a terrorist organization but rejected the interview's framing. - Abbas accused the far right of using the questioning to delegitimize him and Ra'am. - The interview ended with Abbas warning against fueling hostility toward Arab citizens.

Topic: politics israel_relevant: true Entities: {"people":["Mansour Abbas","Esti Perez Ben-Ami","Bezalel Smotrich","Itamar Ben-Gvir"],"organizations":["Ra'am","Kan 11","Hamas"],"places":["Israel"]}