Ra'am Chairman Abbas Signals Desire for Coalition Role
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
Ra'am Chairman Mansour Abbas expressed a desire to join a "change government" to enact substantial reforms, following exit polls projecting his party with seven seats. While the possibility of Ra'am influencing coalition formation diminished as the Netanyahu bloc gained an advantage, Abbas celebrated increased Arab voter turnout. He aims to combat crime and racism and thanked supporters, particularly in the Negev, for their backing despite facing criticism.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Ra'am Chairman Mansour Abbas wants to join a "change government" for substantial reforms.
- Exit polls projected Ra'am with seven seats, potentially influencing coalition talks.
- The possibility of Ra'am supporting a minority government diminished as the Netanyahu bloc gained.
- Abbas celebrated increased Arab voter turnout and religious participation.
- Ra'am aims to combat crime, violence, home demolitions, and racism.
- MK Walid Taha stated an eighth seat would significantly increase Ra'am's government influence.
Mansour Abbas, chairman of the Ra'am party, stated in an interview with Ynet on Tuesday that joining a "change government" could lead to "substantial changes, not just empty talk." This statement followed exit polls that projected Ra'am securing seven Knesset seats. Initially, as polls showed a slight lead for the "change bloc," it appeared Ra'am could play a significant role in coalition formation. However, as the lead shifted to the Netanyahu bloc, the possibility of Ra'am supporting a minority government from the outside significantly diminished.
Despite the shifting political landscape, Abbas expressed satisfaction with the increased voter turnout in the Arab community and the notable participation of religious figures. He hoped to reach an eighth seat to help unseat the current government and join the "change bloc" to combat crime, violence, home demolitions, and racism. Abbas acknowledged the long road ahead to gain significant influence and stressed the need to invest all available resources to achieve this goal. He thanked the Arab public, especially residents of the Negev, for their support, noting the challenges and personal criticism Ra'am faced but affirming their continued determination.
Abbas also mentioned receiving numerous calls after the poll results were released, the content of which he would not disclose. He indicated that Ra'am would carefully analyze the political map and make decisions to serve the Arab public. MK Walid Taha described their achievement as an "historic success" for an independent party, stating that securing an eighth seat would significantly increase their influence on the government. MK Iman Khatib Yassin highlighted the suffering of the Arab community over the past four years due to violence and murder, expressing a desire to address these issues. She also spoke about the pain of being called "traitors" but affirmed that such criticism would not deter their determined efforts.
