Barakeh: Voters want to punish Zionists
Photo: Hagai Aharon
Muslims urge Arab parties not to 'exploit' Gaza dead
Islamic Movement calls on Arab parties to refrain from using 'blood of Gazan martyrs' in elections
The Islamic Movement's northern branch launched its campaign on Tuesday, calling on the Arab parties to refrain from taking advantage of the "blood of the martyrs in Gaza" in order to gain votes in the upcoming elections.
The movement accused a number of parties of using the fighting in Gaza to draw in voters. The campaign's signs, posted throughout Arab villages, say, "The blood of the children of Gaza is pure and clean and must not be ridden upon to the Knesset".
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A member of the Islamic Movement's political bureau explained the campaign's goal. "The campaign wants to remind that no one should take advantage of the blood in Gaza and turn it into an elections platform," said Abed al-Hakim.
A number of Arab parties have made direct appeals to the public to refrain from voting for Zionist parties because of the "slaughter" in Gaza. But the movement's campaign responds, "In Gaza they are counting bodies while here there are some counting votes."
Al-Hakim said the movement was criticizing anyone "drawing symmetry between the blood in Gaza and votes." He said the notion of "avenging the blood of Gazan children at the ballot boxes" was unacceptable.
The campaign will be launched this weekend in the Arab newspapers. The Islamic Movement has stated that it was mostly aimed at Hadash and United Arab List.
"It's definitely cynical exploitation," the movement states. "The Jewish side is proud of the war and everyone is giving himself pats on the back for bringing home a victory. Meanwhile here there are those who want to use the blood as leverage in order to become the heroes of the election."
Hadash Chairman MK Mohammad Barakeh responded by saying that the Arab public would like to "punish" the Zionist parties that supported the war with their ballots.
"Everyone knows that part of the war's timing is the election. We are running in the elections in part against the concept of the war," Barakeh said. United Arab List-Ta'al Chairman MK Ahmad Tibi had no official comment.
