Presidential Office Director-General Eyal Shviki asked Ra'am representatives why they don't say Hamas is a terrorist organization, and Mansour Abbas replied that 'there is a clear answer.' He explained: 'Leave me this space to build a bridge and also have influence on the other side. And leave me space to protect myself and my family. We are a bridge, let's not destroy this bridge. Let's not turn us into terror supporters or traitors. In a certain sense, it's a matter of survival, leave us that. We are unequivocally against terror and violence against any person.'