Ra’am and Hadash call on Arab public to end rioting

Ra’am party chief Mansour Abbas calls for calm and the restoration of order amidst a wave of violent protest in Arab cities and towns, especially in the mixed Jewish-Arab cities of Lod and Ramle.

“In the midst of the popular outburst of understandable anger, we are beginning to see that things are developing in very dangerous directions, as peaceful popular demonstrations have turned into direct clashes which threaten the lives and safety of our youth,” Abbas says.

Abbas continues: “I ask you all to assume responsibility, act with wisdom, abide by public order and the law, and preserve your life and the lives of all citizens without exception.”

The Arab-Jewish Hadash party, the Joint List’s largest single faction, also calls for an end to violence and the restoration of calm.

“We support joint demonstrations by Jews and Arabs, against the occupation and the attack on Gaza, but resolutely reject the attempts to lynch, burn property and houses of worship, and any harm to civilians, Jews and Arabs,” Hadash says.

But Hadash states that it vehemently disagrees with a government decision to send Israeli Border Police forces to Lod to restore order in the troubled city.

“We reject the introduction of border forces, whose anti-Arab tendencies are known, into Lod. This can only lead to escalation,” Hadash says.