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Mansour Abbas

Mansour Abbas: No Jewish Prayer on Temple Mount or Ra'am Will Leave Coalition

The Ra'am party has submitted its conditions for remaining part of the coalition to Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, maintaining the status quo at the Temple Mount under which Jews are banned from any form of prayer at their holiest site, Channel 12 News reported.

In addition, the party demands an agreed outline for the implementation of the economic five-year plan within a year, accelerating the recognition and regulation of villages in the Negev and expanding the program to eradicate crime and violence in the Arab sector.

Tomorrow, April 19, a meeting will be held of members of the Ra'am party and the Islamic Movement in which Abbas will be required to take more drastic measures in response to the recent violence on and surrounding the Temple Mount, possibly including withdrawing from the coalition altogether.

However, Mansour Abbas insists that it is not right for the party to leave the coalition at this time and lose the unique status it has attained as an Arab party in the Israeli government.

On Sunday, April 17, the Ra'am party froze its participation in the coalition in response to pressure from the Islamic Movement, citing law enforcement efforts against Arab rioters on the Temple Mount.

The council held an emergency meeting Sunday afternoon after one of its leaders, Sheikh Mohammad Salameh Hassan, demanded the UAL (United Arab List or Ra’am in Hebrew) party bolt the coalition and bring down the government.

At the urging of party chief MK Mansour Abbas, the council did not insist on the UAL’s immediate departure from the coalition but instead instructed the faction to cease all cooperation with the government for the time being.

“God, we ask that You bring peace and stability within the government in Israel.”