Ra’am chairman Mansour Abbas and his faction have filed a petition with the High Court of Justice against National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, seeking an injunction to slow and freeze the execution of demolition orders and the evacuation of illegal structures erected on public land until a new government is inaugurated after the upcoming election.
1+Within the petition, the political wing of the Islamic Movement calls on the court “to slow down and freeze as much as possible the execution of demolition orders and the evacuation of ‘public lands’ upon which residential homes are built until the establishment of the new government.” Furthermore, Ra’am seeks to strip operational enforcement discretion from the Israel Land Authority (ILA) and place it under the purview of the Attorney General, requesting that “the Attorney General establish a policy under which any demolition during this period and/or evacuation of public lands occupied by residential homes will be subject to her authorization.”
The petition offers insight into Ra’am’s strategic coalition goals should it gain sufficient political leverage in the upcoming vote to help form the next governing administration. Section 11 of the filing explicitly argues that the “‘illegality’ of many of these structures is effectively a temporary condition, dependent on government decisions… Demolition during an election cycle predetermines what the next government has the legal authority to decide otherwise.” A central pillar of Ra’am’s argument alleges that National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is utilizing state enforcement instruments for partisan political gain to increase his electoral viability ahead of the vote.
1+Responding directly to the legal challenge, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir told Channel 14: “I heard that Mansour Abbas filed a petition alleging that I am demolishing homes for the election. Well, I have news for Mansour: the Israel Land Authority, the Green Patrol, and the Enforcement Authority—bolstered by the Israel Police, the Yoav Unit, the Border Police, and the National Guard—demolish throughout the entire year. We demolish 24/6. Whoever builds illegally will have their home demolished.”
Political observers noted that while Abbas accuses the government of politicizing state enforcement agencies, his attempt to forestall demolitions on the eve of the election constitutes a political move aimed squarely at Ra’am’s electoral base. Halting home demolitions in the Negev and Arab sectors remains a central campaign pledge for the party, and the High Court petition represents a bid to demonstrate tangible political achievements before the ballots are cast.