RAAM Chairman, MK Mansour Abbas, refused to answer directly today (Tuesday) the question of whether Hamas is a terrorist organization that must be destroyed.
During an interview on Channel 2, Abbas was asked repeatedly by the presenter - but chose not to give a definitive answer.
At the beginning of the interview, Abbas said that his party condemned the events of October 7. "We condemned every act of terrorism, we condemned the crimes of October 7, not only from the civil aspect, but also from the Islamic religious aspect, and we came out against it," he said.
He added: RAAM acted "to maintain the fabric of relations" and that it did everything in its power "to release the hostages.".
When asked directly whether Hamas is a terrorist organization that needs to be destroyed, Abbas evaded the answer, saying: "Beyond that, to come and put Mansour Abbas to the test now... it's not right, it's not wise.".
He said that these types of questions serve his political opponents and harm his ability to "be a bridge of reconciliation and peace.".
Later in the interview, the presenter returned and asked whether Hamas is a terrorist organization.
In response, Abbas replied: "I don't want to give you a definitive answer" - and later added: "I have a definitive answer, I don't want to say it.".
When asked why, he said: "I have my own considerations, my own positions, and my own scale of values, which are clear and unambiguous.".
Abbas criticized the very question, saying that the attempt to put him through "loyalty tests" was, he said, "completely stupid.".
He said, "You want to portray me as a supporter of terrorism... This is not the right approach.".
