Study says Ra’am uses different messages in Hebrew and Arabic

A new study by Dr. Shimon Oz, head of research at the Reifman Institute for Negev Development, argues that Ra’am and the Islamic Movement conduct a “double discourse” toward the Israeli public and the Bedouin community in the Negev. The report, published by Israel Hayom, says that in Hebrew Ra’am speaks about civil rights, budgets and settlement regularization, while in Arabic it uses terms such as “ribat,” “sumud” and “continuous struggle,” which Oz says carry religious and national meaning.

Oz said, “In Hebrew it uses the language of budgets, infrastructure, welfare and civil rights, and in Arabic, the language of front line, steadfastness and a religious-national mission.” The study says this terminology has appeared consistently for a decade, and that it reflects an unchanged worldview that has only been repackaged for Israeli audiences.

“In the deeper dimension, I do not accept the claim of moderation,” Oz said. “It may be true on the surface, but in my view as a researcher there is no real moderation. There may be a softening of the packaging. The Islamic Movement, the southern faction, is conservative Islam, and what they ultimately want is a religious state, some will say in a year and some will say in 100 years.”

The study also cites a speech by Mansour Abbas after home demolitions in the village of Al-Sira, in which he said, “We need to speak to them, to the Negev Arabs, in the language of the Arabs so we can succeed in stirring them up. This is only one station in a long process. Since we became aware, we have known there is a struggle in the Negev. Those who have won so far are the people of the Negev, not the Israeli government.” The report says the gap between the Hebrew and Arabic messaging suggests an ideological depth behind Ra’am’s moderate public image.