Balad Leader Opposes Palestinian Membership in Zionist Israeli Parties

Morad Hadad, a senior leader of the Balad party, firmly opposes Palestinians joining Zionist political parties in Israel. In an interview with the Arab-Israeli news site Al-Jarmaq, Hadad emphasized that his objection is not about the party names or the candidates' identities but about the political projects these parties represent. He stated that it is insufficient for a candidate to be Palestinian or Arab; what matters is their political and national stance. Hadad rejected the idea of Palestinians serving as a facade or democratic decoration within parties that uphold the Jewish character of the state and operate under Zionist rules.

Hadad argued that the natural place for Palestinians is in independent Palestinian political work that preserves their national identity and represents their community and interests. He pointed out that decades of political experience have shown that Zionist parties, regardless of their names, have never been a platform for achieving collective rights for Palestinians as a people in the land. He called for political unity among Palestinians within the Green Line and urged the establishment of a strong Arab monitoring committee, national institutions, and Arab parties that openly oppose the Jewish nature of the state and the apartheid regime, defending the collective and individual rights of Arabs as an indigenous people in Israel.