Arab Leader Mansour Abbas Pushes Ra'am Toward Coalition Power in Israeli Election
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
Mansour Abbas, head of the United Arab List (Ra'am), is seeking to bring Arab political representation into the governing coalition after Arab parties are projected to win about 19 Knesset seats in the October 27 election.
Mansour Abbas, the dentist-turned-politician who leads the United Arab List (Ra'am), is moving his party toward becoming a coalition partner as Israel heads into a difficult and politically fraught government-formation process. Projections for the October 27 election show the two main Arab-led parties could secure roughly 19 of the 120 seats in the Knesset, giving Arab lawmakers meaningful leverage in coalition talks and a chance to shape policy more directly.
Abbas, who entered the Knesset in 2019, argues that participation in government can bring real and measurable improvements for Arab communities, including better housing, infrastructure and public services that have long been neglected. In a recent interview with the German outlet Qantara, he said, "> We want to become part of the coalition and the government," adding that Ra'am aims to be "a party for all citizens."
The party’s most notable breakthrough came in June 2021 when Ra'am joined the coalition led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, marking the first time in decades that an independent Arab party entered an Israeli governing coalition. The agreement secured commitments on development funding and measures to address crime, housing shortages and infrastructure deficits in Arab areas. The coalition later collapsed in 2022, underscoring both the promise and the fragility of such participation.
Ahead of the current election, Abbas indicated openness to joining a new government, while the Joint List signaled it could support a government from outside the coalition. Abbas warned that a return to a Netanyahu-led administration would have serious repercussions for both the state and Arab citizens, emphasizing his view that political outcomes affect the broader society and the daily lives of marginalized communities.
Arab voters, who comprise about one-fifth of Israel’s population, are focusing on issues such as crime, housing, employment and public services. Higher turnout among Arab voters could increase their bargaining power, but translating electoral strength into policy influence will depend on the ensuing coalition negotiations and whether major parties are prepared to treat Arab citizens as equal partners.