An Internal Threat

Our Michigan Executive Director for ZOA, Kobi Erez, highlights a troubling presence in the Knesset, the Ra’an Arab Party. Kobi writes, “”Prior to the March 2021 elections Bennett took to national media claiming that he would never form a coalition with the Arab Ra’an Party. Depending on Ra’an, he claimed, would prevent Israel from taking necessary actions to defend itself from enemy attack for fear of the government falling.” However, the adage “Never say Never” applies here. In order to form the coalition following his election, Naftali Bennett invited the Arab Ra’an Party to join. Even though they have supported Palestinian terrorists and called for the destruction of Israel.

Now Palestinian nationalism is rising among the Arab population, both with growing numbers of public demonstrations, with “participants waving Palestinian flags, singing the Palestinian national anthem, and protesting for the release of Palestinian terrorists.”

However the threats became more ominous last spring, as Hamas launched over 4,000 rockets into Israel and violent riots led to the burning and destruction of Jewish synagogues, homes and businesses.

He concludes, “The dangerous rise of Palestinian nationalism cannot be ignored, while the political partnership with an Arab political party that supports terrorists and calls for the destruction of the state of Israel simply cannot be accepted.”

It seems Prime Minister Bennett’s initial view of the Ra’an Party was right. They are ‘a strategic threat to Israel.’

(Source: ZOA/JNS Kobi Erez; ZOA-MI)