Yinon Magal Admits Past Support for Mansour Abbas Was Mistake

Journalist Yinon Magal has publicly admitted he was wrong to previously support the inclusion of Mansour Abbas and his Ra'am party in a government coalition. During a live radio interview on Monday, Magal stated, "I admit, I was wrong, but I have woken up." He was questioned by fellow journalist Ben Caspit on the 103fm radio station about his past advocacy for Abbas's participation in a government.

Magal's shift in stance comes after he had publicly backed integrating Abbas and Ra'am into a coalition in 2021, during Benjamin Netanyahu's efforts to form a government. At that time, Magal had even urged Bezalel Smotrich to agree to the arrangement and supported the possibility of Abbas becoming minister for Arab societal affairs, aiming to facilitate the formation of a right-wing government led by Netanyahu.

However, following the establishment of the "government of change" in the subsequent years, Magal completely reversed his position. He expressed regret for his earlier support, now vehemently opposing any future political cooperation with Abbas. Magal cited concerns that Abbas's inclusion in a government had negatively impacted security operations in Gaza.