Mansour Abbas, leader of the Arab party Ra'am, has once again avoided saying plainly whether Hamas is a terrorist organization that must be destroyed. In video from i24NEWS at Ra'am headquarters, shot amid post-election coverage with the bloc tallies on screen, he is pressed repeatedly on the question and does not give a direct answer. It is not the first time. In an earlier radio interview he said he had a straight answer but did not want to say it, and he called such questions "loyalty tests." His supporters point out that he has condemned Hamas's actions many times, while critics argue that a simple yes or no is exactly what the moment calls for.

The question matters because of the conditions set by opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot, the former IDF chief who heads the Yashar party. He says any coalition partner must accept four principles, including recognizing Hamas as a terrorist organization that must be dismantled, and has said he sees no Arab party that meets them. Abbas has answered that he will decide whether to meet Eisenkot's criteria only after it is clear that a government can be formed at all, adding that with the current numbers "there is no government." Exit polls have left neither side with the 61 seats needed for a majority, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also rejected relying on Arab parties. That leaves one big question hanging over the coming coalition talks, which is whether any bloc can reach 61 seats without a partner it has publicly ruled out.