Jerusalem, 14 September, 2026 (TPS-IL) — The Likud party filed an official request Monday with the Central Elections Committee to Disqualify Ra’am and its chairman, Mansour Abbas, from running in the 26th Knesset elections.
Ra’am, officially known as the United Arab List, is an Israeli Arab political party that represents the Islamic Movement’s southern branch.
The request cites Section 7A of the Basic Law: the Knesset and is based on two grounds. Likud argues that Abbas rejects Israel’s existence as a Jewish and democratic state, citing recent remarks in which he described the country’s Jewish character as “a reality imposed on us.”
The request also accuses Ra’am of supporting the armed struggle of a terrorist organization, citing alleged ideological and financial links between organizations associated with the party, including 48 Aid, and Hamas. Likud also points to Abbas’s recent refusal to describe Hamas as a terrorist organization in a media interview.