UAL Set To Break From Islamic Movement as Abbas Seeks Broader Political Base By The Media Line Staff United Arab List (UAL) Chairman Mansour Abbas said over the weekend that his party will soon formalize a split from the Islamic Movement in Israel and the Shura Council, clearing the way for UAL to function as an entirely independent political organization. The decision, […]
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The Media Line: UAL Set To Break From Islamic Movement as Abbas Seeks Broader Political Base
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UAL Set To Break From Islamic Movement as Abbas Seeks Broader Political Base
By The Media Line Staff
United Arab List (UAL) Chairman Mansour Abbas said over the weekend that his party will soon formalize a split from the Islamic Movement in Israel and the Shura Council, clearing the way for UAL to function as an entirely independent political organization. The decision, which he plans to bring for approval in the coming weeks, marks a significant change in how the party defines its leadership structure and public identity.
Abbas described the shift as part of a broader effort to widen the party’s base. In comments to Haaretz, he said the current framework limits UAL to “only those identified with the Islamic Movement,” and he wants the party to attract additional currents within the Arab community. He noted that similar arrangements have existed in Israeli politics before, pointing to the cooperation between Hadash and the Communist Party and calling that model both well-known and effective.
He added that the new approach is meant to signal to both Jewish and Arab voters that the party intends to stand on its own despite what he called “attempts to harm the party and bring about its disqualification.” The move comes as debates intensify about the role Arab factions may play in any future governing coalition.
Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Lieberman repeated on Saturday that Arab parties should not be part of the next government. Speaking to Channel 12, he said the future coalition “must be a Zionist coalition: no Arabs, no ultra-Orthodox, and no Netanyahu.” Asked whether UAL’s planned separation from the Shura Council affects his view, he replied that “it simply doesn’t matter.”
Other political leaders who oppose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have adopted similar positions. Earlier this year, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett argued that “Israel needs a Zionist coalition without Arab parties,” even though several recent polls suggest Netanyahu’s Jewish rivals cannot form a government without Arab cooperation.
Debate about the movement resurfaced last month when Netanyahu said he intended to “complete” the outlawing of the Muslim Brotherhood, comments widely interpreted as referring to the Islamic Movement’s northern faction. He also hinted at possible action against the southern branch. Abbas responded at the time that Netanyahu was trying to “steal the election” and that restricting Arab voting rights was “illegitimate.”