Israeli-Arab Parties divided over Raam's return to coalition
The opposition Joint List refrained from supporting two no-confidence votes against the government, and the announcement of Ra’am ending its coalition membership suspension, reflect the ongoing tensions between Israeli-Arab politicians.
The Muslim Ra’am party announced May 11 it intends to stay in the coalition. The dramatic announcement came after a nerve-wracking day, where all eyes in Israeli politics were focused on the decision of the Shura Council that spiritually guides Ra’am.
Addressing the press, Ra’am Chairman Mansour Abbas said, “We reached understandings for the betterment of Arab society and Israelis in general. We decided to come back and create an opportunity for the coalition agreements to be implemented.” Abbas now offers Prime Minister Naftali Bennett another chance for their political partnership, by returning to full working relations with the coalition.
