Leading Arab Party Chairman: Israels Jewish Identity Was Imposed on Us
Ra'am chairman Mansour Abbas declared Israel's Jewish identity was "imposed on us," reflecting the Jewish majority's choice, not Arab parties.
Jerusalem, 26 August, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Ra’am chairman Mansour Abbas wrote on Facebook Wednesday that Israel’s Jewish character is “an established reality imposed on us,” reflecting the choice of the Jewish majority rather than Arab parties.
Ra’am made history in June 2021 as the first independent Arab party to formally join an Israeli governing coalition.
Ahead of the October 2026 elections, the party is distancing itself from its Islamist roots and presenting itself as an independent Arab party focused on Arab-Jewish cooperation. It is also considering adding a prominent Jewish politician to its slate.
Right-wing commentators have countered Abbas’s outreach by highlighting past speeches and posts in which he rejected Israel as a Jewish state and expressed support for a future Palestinian state.
Abbas said his goal is to replace the “racist and fascist government” with a more positive Jewish government in which Arab citizens would have a meaningful role.