Balad Chairman Azmi Bishara, who left Israel for a covert trip abroad earlier this week amid rumors of his pending resignation from Knesset, lashed out at the state on Friday, saying it "would not be able to handle the challenge I've presented on the issue of its Jewishness and the position of Zionism here."

In an interview with A-Shams radio, Bishara reiterated his intention to resign from the Knesset. The lawmaker added that his associates were opposed to the decision, as quitting the Knesset means waiving the diplomatic immunity he currently enjoys.

Bishara said he had no plans to return to Israel in the coming days, but would not elaborate on his whereabouts. He said he would visit Qatar on Sunday and then head to Bahrain to participate in an Arab conference. According to the A-Sinara daily, Bishara has already arrived in Qatar, although sources in Balad say their chairman is currently in Europe.

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"I want privacy," Bishara told the radio on Friday. "I am not prepared to have the media falling all over me."

Bishara confirmed his intention to resign from the Knesset on Thursday, telling the Nazareth-based newspaper Hadith A-Nas that he is being persecuted.

"Despite of what the mercenaries are writing, it was not the recent developments that pushed me to resign, but thinking about it all again and about the rules of the game," he said in an interview published Friday.

"Is it possible for me to be called a member of Knesset and be persecuted in this way?," he was quoted as saying.

Bishara added that his decision was based on the fact that he has exhausted the parliamentary tools at his disposal. "I did what I could with the tools I had available," he told the paper. "Eleven intense years are enough for me."

Bishara made similar statements to other Arab media outlets.

"I want to devote more time to things that interest me, like writing literature and meditation, and devoting more time to Arab issues," he said.

This is the first time Bishara has directly responded to media reports of his intention to resign, which began surfacing at the beginning of the week. To date, Balad has denied the reports.

Bishara addressed reports that he had originally intended to resign in September, but decided to wait until the passage of a law compensating polio victims, which was passed last month.

"We got used to criticizing those who cling to their positions, not those who resign and clear the way for others to develop and advance the movement," he said.

The newspaper A-Sinara reported that one of its correspondents spoke with Bishara at his Qatar hotel.

According to the report, the receptionist connected the reporter to Bishara's room, but the MK terminated the call when he heard a voice that he did not recognize.

Bishara's wife and two children returned to Israel on Wednesday after a they had visited Jordan together with the MK for several days.

Balad sources said the Bishara family's return proves the party's chairman does not intend to flee the country or emigrate.