Ra’am ‘evaluating legal situation’ after Netanyahu’s apparent threat to outlaw Arab party

Ra’am leader Mansour Abbas says the political party is “evaluating the legal situation” after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to threaten to outlaw the Islamist faction.

“We are examining the matter from a political and legal perspective, and evaluating the situation and the information we have,” Abbas tells the Ynet news site.

Ra’am, which joined the coalition led by prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid in 2021, is the political wing of the Southern Islamic Movement.

The southern branch of the Islamist movement, which is inspired by the Muslim Brotherhood, takes a conciliatory stance toward Israel and is focused more on socio-economic issues than the northern, more radical branch, which is already outlawed.

Abbas has in the past denied that his party was part of the Muslim Brotherhood movement.

Last night, Netanyahu pledged that Israel will complete the process of outlawing the Muslim Brotherhood.

The prime minister’s apparent threat to Ra’am came as he praised US President Donald Trump for his decision to make the final preparations for outlawing the Muslim Brotherhood and declaring it a terrorist organization.

Critics of Netanyahu and his hardline right-wing government have warned of attempts to disenfranchise Arab voters ahead of the elections — set to be held by the end of October 2026 — including by making it easier to disqualify Arab candidates.