Archiv: Ra´am (United Arab List) (former member of Joint List)


19.09.2025 - 03:05 [ +972 Magazine ]

Israel’s opposition is plotting a return to power. But it remains its own worst enemy

Yet such promises count for little at a time when Israel’s current government continues to bomb, shell, and starve Palestinians in Gaza, all while taking rapid steps toward formally annexing the West Bank. Nor has the opposition — neither its parliamentary representatives, like the Democrats, or the protest movement in the streets — shown the ability to turn growing discontent over the government’s handling of the war and abandonment of the hostages into a full-throated defense of Palestinians’ humanity.

Until they do, it is hard to imagine just how different the next government, whoever comprises it, will be when it comes to the prospect of peace and equality for all the people in this land.

02.09.2025 - 19:23 [ Communist Party of Israel ]

Negotiations to Reestablish the Joint List

Hadash and three Arab parties Ra’am, Ta’al, and Balad are negotiating to reestablish the Joint List bloc ahead for the next elections. “The atmosphere during the meeting on Sunday was really good,” MK Aida Touma-Sliman (Hadash-Ta’al) told The Jerusalem Post. During the meeting, Hadash-Ta’al presented a “road map toward the Joint List” who included a detailed three-phase process for the reestablishing the list.

03.07.2025 - 01:25 [ Orly Noy / +972 Magazine ]

The Knesset vs Ayman Odeh

On Monday, the Knesset House Committee voted to impeach Palestinian parliamentarian Ayman Odeh, head of the predominantly Arab Hadash-Ta’al list. His crime? In January, as the two-month Gaza ceasefire came into effect, Odeh tweeted: “I am happy about the release of the [Israeli] hostages and [Palestinian] prisoners. From here, both peoples must be freed from the yoke of the occupation. We were all born free.”

As I watched the committee’s hearing, I felt like my eyes were bleeding. It was physically unbearable. Knesset members from across the political spectrum — who aren’t worthy of the dust on Odeh’s shoes when it comes to humanism, morality, and democratic integrity — competed to see who could spew the vilest rhetoric against him.

No one paid attention to the Knesset’s legal adviser — who, after the obligatory lip service condemning Odeh’s “disgusting statements,” concluded that there was no legal basis for his impeachment. And it goes without saying that no one listened to Odeh’s attorney, Dr. Hassan Jabareen, who explained why the proposal was procedurally flawed, legally unsound, and morally bankrupt.

From the first sentence to the last, the hearing was a farce.

03.07.2025 - 01:07 [ Jerusalem Post ]

MK Ayman Odeh decries Knesset House Committee as ‚fascist‘ after impeachment vote

The impeachment was not just a response to specific statements but directed against “Odeh as a person and everything he represents,” Boaron said in his closing argument. At the end of the hearing, committee chairman Ofir Katz (Likud) said Odeh was a “bitter enemy” of Israel, and in a “normal country,” he would “rot in jail.”

Only Ra’am MK Waleed Taha and Hadash-Ta’al MK Ahmad Tibi voted against his impeachment.

08.06.2025 - 20:27 [ Ynetnews.com ]

Negotiations underway to reunite Arab parties: ‚Oust Netanyahu, Smotrich and Ben Gvir’s government‘

(June 3, 2025)

Amid talks about a possible early election triggered by the controversy over the exemption law from military service, interest is growing among Arab parties inside and outside the Knesset. In recent weeks, quiet negotiations have been underway to unite all the Arab parties: Ra’am, Hadash, Ta’al and Balad. The goal is to replicate the dramatic success of the Joint List in the March 2020 Knesset elections, when it won 15 seats.

24.05.2025 - 00:55 [ +972 Magazine ]

What can the Joint List teach us about building Palestinian political power?

Yet Israel’s political chaos between 2019 and 2022, marked by five consecutive elections and an electorate divided almost evenly between pro- and anti-Netanyahu camps, gave the Joint List an unexpected second life. Reconstituted ahead of the September 2019 vote, it immediately regained its 13 seats. Then, in March 2020, it achieved a historic milestone, becoming Israel’s third-largest party with 15 seats — the highest ever for Palestinian representation. Turnout rebounded, while support for Zionist parties among Palestinian voters collapsed from 28 percent to just 12 percent.

25.10.2024 - 16:00 [ Communist Party of Israel ]

Netanyahu’s Far-right Coalition Decided to Ban Hadash

Netanyahu’s coalition decided to ban Hadash and is still unclear which legislation will be used to ban Islamic Ra’am party. This is done under the false accusation of “support for terrorism”.

According to the political correspondent Daphna Liel of Channel 12 at the beginning of next the week, a bill by the chairman of the coalition, MK Ofir Katz (Likud), will be brought to the legislative committee to allow the disqualification of lists and Arab members of the Knesset.

The bottom line of the bill is proof of “mass manifestations of support for terrorism” will no longer be required and it will be possible to be satisfied in individual cases to disqualify a candidate and a list.

28.03.2023 - 06:52 [ Haaretz ]

Israel‘s Opposition Overtakes Netanyahu Bloc to Reach Majority, Polls Show

According to the polls, conducted by Channel 12 and public broadcaster Kan, if an election were held today, the parties that make up the current ruling coalition – Netanyahu’s Likud, Religious Zionism, Otzma Yehudit, Shas and United Torah Judaism – would amass a total of just 54 seats, seven short of the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. The opposition, made up of National Unity, Yesh Atid, Yisrael Beytenu, Meretz, Ra’am and Labor, is projected to win 61 seats. Hadash-Ta’al would garner the remaining five seats.

20.11.2022 - 15:36 [ Communist Party of Israel ]

Islamist Ra’am Will ‘Leave Door Open to Dialogue’ With Incoming Far-right Coalition

(15.11.2022)

The Islamist Ra’am party stressed on Sunday that although it sits in the opposition, it will not necessarily vote in line with the bloc that opposes incoming prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and will keep the channels of communications open with the next far-right and racist coalition, specifically when it comes to matters that concern Arab-Palestinian communities in Israel.

27.10.2022 - 02:35 [ MSN.com ]

This Election Poll Made the Israeli Left Panic, as It Should

In the early stages of the campaign, when parties could still merge with others, Lapid begged Merav Michaeli, the leader of Labor, to join forces with Meretz. Even the James Webb telescope would fail to find ideological differences between the two parties. Michaeli, whatever her reasons may have truly been, shot down the idea. Now she could enter history books as the first Labor leader to remain beneath the threshold, and outside the Knesset.

24.10.2022 - 07:36 [ KnessetJeremy.com ]

9 Days to Election – KnessetJeremy Polling Average: Likud 31.6, Yesh Atid 24.3, Smotrich 13.4, Gantz 11.6, Shas 8.1, UTJ 7; Blocs Deadlocked

(October 23, 2022)

Smotrich made the most significant gain with a 0.6 jump. Liberman’s Yisrael Beitenu went up for the second straight week, this time by 0.3.

Likud dropped for the second consecutive week, this time by 0.5. Gantz also went down this week, this time by 0.3. Lapid’s Yesh Atid also lost 0.1.

Overall, we remain stuck at a 60-60 deadlock between the two blocs.

02.10.2022 - 15:45 [ Communist Party of Israel ]

Hadash-Ta’al Slams Lapid, Michaeli for Refusing to Block Barring of Arab Parties

Hadash-Ta’al commented on the Central Election Commission’s decision to disqualify Balad’s candidacy for the 25th Knesset. “The decision to disqualify Balad is an unfortunate decision. [Benny] Gantz, [Yair] Lapid and [Meirav] Michaeli proved that they are right-wing in disguise. Despite the anger of the racists who want to keep the Arabs away from the polling stations, on election day we all flock to the polling stations.”

02.10.2022 - 15:41 [ Times of Israel ]

Elections panel blocks Balad party’s run for Knesset, against AG’s advice

Balad and several of its lawmakers have been disqualified by past elections panels, and have so far won every appeal to the High Court to be reinstated. The party is expected to make a similar appeal to return to November’s contest following Thursday’s disqualification.

Earlier on Thursday, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara released a letter to the committee stating that there was no basis for disqualifying either Balad or the Islamist Ra’am party. The panel ultimately cleared Ra’am’s path to the ballot box, dismissing petitions that alleged the party supported terrorist organizations.

02.10.2022 - 15:33 [ Times of Israel ]

Israel: Balad banned from election run, Ra‘am qualifies

(29.09.2022)

Despite appeals filed alleging that Ra‘am „supports terrorism,“ the vote to allow their running passed 14-0, with representatives from Likud, the Religious Zionist Party, Yesh Atid, and Labor not present.
Israel‘s Defense Minister Benny Gantz of the National Unity Party ruled on Thursday that all of his party representatives on the election committee will vote to disqualify Balad from running for parliament.

17.01.2022 - 16:40 [ Haaretz ]

Israeli Ministry Seeks Extention of Controversial Fingerprint Collection Order

Despite its statements, the Interior Ministry plans to continue collecting fingerprints for its biometric ID database until 2025, at the earliest. Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked has proposed a three-year extension of the emergency order that provides for gathering fingerprints from citizens. The Knesset must vote on the measure.

The ministry’s Population and Immigration Authority says it needs about two years to buy and introduce facial recognition technology that will obviate the need for fingerprints. The agency is considering retaining the fingerprint database for victim identification in the event of a national disaster.

17.01.2022 - 16:24 [ Communist Party of Israel ]

Racist ‘Citizenship Law’ Advances, Months after Ban on Palestinian Spouses Lapsed

The bill was rejected by the Knesset plenum six months ago, and since then, Shaked has struggled to obtain a majority. Joint List leader MK Ayman Odeh (Hadash) said he was determined to prevent its passage. “We toppled the Citizenship Law, because we oppose racist, anti-democratic legislation”, Odeh said. “We will do everything we can to topple it again.” According to Hadash MK Ofer Cassif (Hadash), “This Israeli law is racist, collective, pre-emptive punishment. It can neither be justified, nor redeemed.” The Joint List also oppose Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s bill on drafting yeshiva students. All parties in the coalition support the bill, including Islamist Ra’am (United Arab List).

17.01.2022 - 16:01 [ Jerusalem Post ]

Controversial right-wing citizenship bill advanced by ministers

The controversial bill would tighten immigration controls and make it harder for Palestinians who marry Israeli Arabs to receive citizenship. The passage of a bill backed by right-wing parties and opposed by Meretz and Ra’am (United Arab List) was seen as a first step toward the formation of a right-wing government if opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu accepts a plea agreement.

16.09.2021 - 18:46 [ Haaretz ]

Bennett Makes Time Magazine‘s 2021 List as Islamist Coalition Partner Hails His ‚Courage‘

Abbas and Bennett agree on little ideologically. Abbas leads the United Arab List, a party that champions Palestinian self-determination, while Bennett comes from Israel’s right wing and has pledged that a Palestinian state will not arise on his watch. But they coalesced around the goal of removing Bennett’s predecessor, Benjamin Netanyahu, who they saw as divisive and corrupt.

03.06.2021 - 08:16 [ i24news.tv ]

History made as Arab-Israeli party joins governing coalition

Even before Ra‘am announced his signing, Yair Lapid‘s nascent coalition was widely seen as the most ideologically diverse in the country‘s history, uniting left and right parties to notably oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from power.

02.06.2021 - 23:45 [ Tagesschau.de ]

Acht-Parteien-Bündnis in Israel: Lapid gelingt Koalitionsbildung

Der 57-Jährige habe den israelischen Präsident Reuven Rivlin über die Regierungsbildung informiert, hieß es in einer Erklärung. Mit Vereidigung einer solchen Regierung im Parlament wäre die Ära von Netanyahu als Premierminister vorerst beendet.

12.05.2021 - 08:53 [ Omer Katz / عُمِر كاتس / Twitter ]

Let me say it loud & clear: #Netanyahu is a narcissistic sociopath. He does not care if any of us lives or die as long as he has enough power to avoid incarceration. This escalation was carefully planned to thwart the negotiations between Mansour Abbas (United Arab List) & Lapid.

Abbas, ideologically is a part of the Muslim Brotherhood.
He cannot aid ti form a government which will involve itself in a war on his own people in #Gaza and one of the most sacred places to Islam.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, a convicted terrorist and now, shamefully, a member of the Knesset, has disclosed he told #Netanyahu that if there will be a war in #Gaza, Lapid won‘t be able to form a government.
Netanyahu‘s propagandists have said roughly the same, though not directly.

11.05.2021 - 19:45 [ Haaretz ]

Rivals’ Coalition Talks Mean Netanyahu‘s in No Rush to De-escalate Gaza Tensions

United Arab List Chairman Mansour Abbas suspends talks with Lapid amid violence in Jerusalem and Gaza, giving Netanyahu an incentive to keep tensions high

11.05.2021 - 10:41 [ Israel Daily News Podcast / Twitter ]

Ra‘am Set to Announce Key Support for Lapid-Bennett Unity Government: The Arab Ra’am party, whose support is crucial for the “change bloc” to form a coalition, is expected to support a unity government led by Yamina’s Naftali Bennett and Yesh Atid chair Yair Lapid.

28.04.2021 - 17:14 [ Haaretz ]

Bennett, Abbas Meet to Discuss Next Steps for Forming a Government

Meeting at the Knesset, the two leaders said the meeting „went well.“

A number of parties that form the the ‚anti-Netanyahu‘ bloc, Yesh Atid, Yamina and Tikva Hadasha, have been discussing coalition plans with „positive energy“ in recent weeks.

28.04.2021 - 17:06 [ Ynetnews.com ]

Bennett meets with Ra‘am head in effort to form unity government

Despite promising before elections he will never form coalition backed by Islamist party, Yamina chief meets with Mansour Abbas at his office in the Knesset in an apparent bid to draft a plan to unseat Netanyahu

28.04.2021 - 17:00 [ Ynetnews.com ]

High Court cancels hearing as PM agrees to Gantz as justice ministe

In addition, a few moments before Netanyahu announced his decision to back Gantz for the position, he apparently was made aware that Bennett held his first meeting with Mansour Abbas – the leader of the Islamist Ra‘am party – in an effort to form a unity government.

21.04.2021 - 11:55 [ Ynetnews.com ]

Netanyahu defeated in bid to control critical Knesset committee

(19.04.2021)

The Arrangements Committee is the first parliamentary committee to be formed after an election and controls the legislative agenda in the new parliament until the formation of a new government including determining what other parliamentary committees will be formed and their composition.
Likud‘s bid to head the committee was foiled by the Islamist Ra’am party which voted against the motion and threw its support behind Yesh Atid.

14.04.2021 - 13:20 [ Neil Lazarus / Twitter ]

So #Bennet meets w#Netanyahu. No surprise if will recommend him to President for PM #IsraElex4 #Israel #israelelection BB will still need Mansour 4 a majority

(04.04.2021)

04.04.2021 - 10:02 [ i24news.tv ]

Israel: Islamist Ra‘am party undecided on who to endorse for PM

Mansour Abbas, the leader of the Islamist conservatives, has emerged as a coalition kingmaker

25.03.2021 - 16:54 [ i24news.tv ]

Report: Incoming lawmakers planning to legislate against Netanyahu

In turn, Likud party members have begun talks with Mansour Abbas, leader of the Islamist party Ra‘am and likely kingmaker in Israel‘s March 23 election, who has not ruled out supporting a Netanyahu-led government.

According to online outlet Walla, citing Likud party officials, Abbas is not in favor of passing laws aimed at targeting individuals, but their position is not yet finalized.

25.03.2021 - 12:48 [ i24news.tv ]

Gulf officials warn Israel against forming gov‘t with far-right candidates: report

“A right-wing policy is one thing,” the officials were quoted as saying. “But expressions against Muslims and Arabs by Members of Knesset [Israel Parliament] that are a part of [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s government will harm and sabotage the normalization between Israel and Arab countries.”

25.03.2021 - 11:20 [ Haaretz ]

Israel Election Results: Far-right Leader Rules Out Netanyahu-led Coalition With Islamist Party

The Islamist United Arab List party, headed by Mansour Abbas, and Naftali Bennett‘s Yamina have not yet declared their support for either bloc.

24.03.2021 - 19:55 [ ORF.at ]

Israel-Wahl: Kleinpartei als Zünglein an der Waage

Likud bleibt zwar mit 30 Mandaten die stärkste politische Kraft, aber selbst mit seinem ultrarechten Rivalen Naftali Bennett von der Jamina-Partei käme sein Lager nur auf 59 von 120 Mandaten. Die arabische Partei Ra’am schafft die 3,25-Prozent-Hürde und ist nun Zünglein an der Waage.

Ra’am erhält fünf Mandate.