“The need of the hour is unity and toppling the Netanyahu, Ben-Gvir, and Smotrich racist government. Our public wants to see a leadership that fights for it and does not accept the current reality,” Hadash party chairman Dr. Yousef Jabareen said in an interview published Monday morning, May 25, on Ynet.
According to Jabareen, “The dissolution of the Joint List in 2021 was a severe mistake that cost the Arab public political power and influence. Today, everyone understands this.” He added that despite ideological gaps with Ra’am, “The price of running separately will be unbearable—a drop in voter turnout and the continuation of the far-right rule.” He also emphasized that intensive talks are underway to reach agreements: “We are doing everything we can to bring hope back to our public.”
“We need a leadership that fights for the public and does not accept current reality,” Dr. Yousef Jabareen at the Hadash council meeting held last October (Photo: Zo Haderekh)
Representatives from Hadash and two Arab partiers, Balad, and Ta’al held a joint meeting last night to accelerate the reunification of the Joint List and remove obstacles toward an agreement. The three parties emphasized their consensus on core political issues and highlighted the importance of ongoing political and parliamentary coordination after the elections.
In a joint statement, the parties declared: “We would like Ra’am to be a partner in the political agreement, but we are aware of the significant gaps between our positions regarding the character and path of the Joint List. Nevertheless, recognizing the importance of unity against existential threats, the parties expressed willingness to reach an agreement with Ra’am based on a ‘technical joint list’ for the elections, aiming to raise voter turnout, strengthen Arab representation, and topple the far-right government.”
In response to the appeal, Ra’am announced tonight that it is ready to run together in a “technical-joint list with Hadash, Ta’al, and Balad.” However, the party emphasized that any agreement between the sides must guarantee its political independence. “A technical-joint list means that each party retains its own platform, freedom, and dialogue with its voters without any constraint. Any clause that imposes binding conditions on any of the parties compromises the technical nature of the list and turns it into something entirely different,” Ra’am stated in its announcement. “Such a list is the ideal solution that fulfills our voters’ aspirations while maintaining the integrity of the parties.”
Ra’am chairman, MK Mansour Abbas also responded to a Channel 13 report, which claimed that those close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are working to advance a move aimed at disqualifying the party from participating in the elections. According to the report, the possibility of declaring the Southern Branch of the Islamic Movement, which is affiliated with Ra’am, as a “terrorist organization” has been under consideration in recent days. Abbas attacked the Prime Minister in response, stating: “Netanyahu aims to decide the upcoming elections by disqualifying Ra’am in an anti-democratic manner. Our response to this anti-democratic move will be at the ballot box.”
Related: https://maki.org.il/en/?p=33466
