While Israel’s High Court of Justice overruled a Central Election Committee decision, permitting Arab parties to compete in the upcoming general election, the Hadash Arab-Jewish Party’s website speaks of support for “the resistance”.
 
The party’s Hebrew website denounces the Gaza War, but the Arabic versions sings a different tune, stating “We are with the resistance everywhere,” which some interpret may be a statement of support for Hamas and other terrorist organizations.
 
Hadash officials however reject the criticism and accusations that it wages two campaigns, one for Arabs and one for Jews.
 
Nevertheless, the party’s Arabic site (aljabha.org) according to the daily Haaretz carries a speech delivered by Mohammed Nafaa, a secretary-general of the Israel Communist Party, a Hadash faction, entitled “We are for the resistance everywhere”. In his address, Nafaa does state that Hadash members are not and never will be Hamas members but the Hadash party remains strongly opposed to the “Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories”. The speech is conspicuously absent from the party’s Hebrew sites (hadash2009.org.il – idov.org.il).
 
The word ‘resistance’ muqawama in Arabic is used for non-violent resistance but also in reference to terror attacks and Hamas during Operation Cast Lead.
 
Hadash officials stress their opposition to Hamas and Hizbullah, as well as to Israeli occupation, stressing the need for a two-state solution.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)