The Joint Arab List had a biting response to the Ra'am party's announcement it would suspend its membership in the coalition government and the Knesset for two weeks over recent clashes at the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
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On Twitter, Joint Arab List Chairman Ayman Odeh wrote: "Not arriving at the Knesset during the recess. A dramatic decision."
His fellow party member MK Ofer Cassif compared Ra'am declaration of a freeze in the party's coalition membership during the Knesset recess to announcing the start of "a diet during the days of Ramadan."
Joint Arab List MK Ahmad Tibi said, "They may be coalition members, but they still have a sense of humor. Hiatus humor."
Following a meeting of the Southern Islamic Movement's Shura Council, the party issued a statement Sunday night saying, among other things, that Ra'am was "freezing its membership in the Knesset and the coalition in protest of the continued assault on Al-Aqsa."
It said Ra'am called on the Joint Arab List "to make a similar decision to freeze its membership in the Knesset until a solution to the issue of what is transpiring at Al-Aqsa is reached and emphasizes: We are also willing to accept a decision for the collective resignation of Arab parties from the Knesset." Ra'am would take the latter step "if the government continues its arbitrary steps against Al Quds [Jerusalem] and its people, Al-Aqsa, its worshippers, and its temples in this holy month."
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The Islamist party attacked the coalition government in a statement, claiming, "These decisions follow disappointment with the government handling of the Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa issue and the sanctity of Islam, and this is confirmed by the repeated scenes in Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa, in which there is a blatant attack on international resolutions and basic norms.
According to Ra'am's statement, the move would remain in effect until Israel's legislative body returned from its recess on May 8th. According to media reports, the move by the Islamist party was coordinated with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister and Prime Minister-designate Yair Lapid in advance.
i24NEWS contributed to this report.
