Mansour Abbas, chairman of the Islamist Ra�am party, charged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday with attempting to rig the next national election by threatening to ban Ra�am over alleged links to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Speaking to Ynet, Abbas accused Netanyahu of using national security as political weaponry. �Netanyahu has a very clear goal: to try to steal the elections and fix their results in advance,� he said. Abbas claimed that Ra�am poses a direct threat to the current coalition�s hold on power, asserting that his party �will bring the numbers to replace the government of Netanyahu and [National Security Minister Itamar] Ben Gvir.�
The comments followed statements by Netanyahu suggesting he would consider outlawing organizations tied to the Muslim Brotherhood, a global Islamist movement that is banned in countries including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE over alleged terror links. Ra�am is affiliated with the Southern Islamic Movement, an offshoot inspired by the Brotherhood, though it has long emphasized a pragmatic, civic-focused agenda within Israel.
Abbas said his party is now �evaluating the legal situation� after what he described as a direct threat to Ra�am�s right to participate in elections. He has repeatedly denied that the party has any operational ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, calling Ra�am �a legitimate and democratic party.�
Ra�am made history in 2021 by joining the coalition that toppled Netanyahu and brought down years of right-wing dominance. Unlike the outlawed Northern Islamic Movement, which promotes a hardline opposition to Israeli authority, Ra�am has prioritized socioeconomic gains for Arab citizens and cooperation with the state. Current polling predicts the party will retain its five Knesset seats.
A source close to Netanyahu rejected Abbas�s accusations, telling Ynet that any legislation targeting the Muslim Brotherhood has �nothing to do with Ra�am.� The unnamed official added, �To the extent that Ra�am departs from the law, the party will be disqualified from running regardless of the Muslim Brotherhood.�
Abbas, however, insisted the motive was political, not legal. He accused Netanyahu of �aiming to taint the legitimacy of Ra�am,� warning that banning a legal political party would be an assault on democratic participation for Israel�s Arab citizens.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
One Response
Brotherhood or not he’s still An Enemy of the State and a complete terrorist even though he wears a suit. Democracy let’s garbage like him participate but it doesn’t change who he is