The chairman of the Ra'am Party, MK Mansour Abbas, opposes direct flights from Israel to Saudi Arabia, claiming that they harm Israel's relations with Jordan.
Abbas warned in an interview with i24NEWS that the emerging arrangement, under which Saudi Arabia would allow direct flights from Israel to Israeli Muslims to participate in the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, is problematic.
"We are against an agreement that cancels Jordan. Jordan must be a partner in any agreement in the region," he said.
Abbas also commented on the Israeli-American dispute over President Joe Biden's visit to eastern Jerusalem, saying, "Eastern Jerusalem is the capital of the Palestinian people, the State of Israel is occupying territories, and we are in favor of a peace agreement based on the 1967 borders."
In his remarks, Abbas defined Israeli Arabs as "Palestinians," a term he avoided using during the previous election campaign in which he emphasized the civic aspect of the identity and existence of Israeli Arabs.
The Ra'am Party said in response, "i24NEWS published an incorrect quote from the words of Ra'am chairman Mansour Abbas. What was said in the interview is clear and documented, the chairman of Ra'am said: 'Improving relations with Israel and every country in the region, and especially Saudi Arabia, should not come at the expense of Jordan.'"