Leader of the Islamist Ra'am party Mansour Abbas is facing pressure to leave the coalition over Israel's plans to advance the construction of about 4,000 homes in Judea and Samaria, Israel Hayom has learned.
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The move "reaffirms that the current Israeli government cannot be viewed as a partner," a senior Palestinian official told Israel Hayom. "This government is no different from its predecessor led by [Benjamin] Netanyahu, the same policy and the same plans to confiscate land and build settlements."
The official called on Abbas to quit the coalition, criticizing him for enabling "the Israeli government's settlement policy" and "aggression" on the Temple Mount.
On Saturday, Abbas rejected the criticism, saying that Ra'am's policy is based on the position of Jordan, the custodian of the Temple Mount.
"We do not address the leaks and repeated rumors from official and unofficial sources," Abbas posted on Facebook. "Ra'am's position in the coalition with regard to Al-Aqsa will be determined in accordance to the results of the meetings" between Jordanian, Israeli and international officials.
"I stress that the demands and the positions regarding Al-Aqsa are determined and led by King Abdullah, while the permanent solution is the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, with Jerusalem as its capital and Al-Aqsa in its heart. It is our duty to support King Abdullah's efforts," the post said.
Ra'am's withdrawal from the coalition would spell the end of the current government and herald another round of elections.
On Friday, Meretz leader Nitzan Horowitz called on Labor to run together in the next potential election and create a united social democratic party. But Labor rejected the idea and criticized Horowitz for even talking about a possible vote.
"Just talking about the elections creates a dynamic of elections," Labor MK Ram Shefa said.
There will be no union with Meretz and Labor would continue to represent both centrists and left-wingers, he said.
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