Ra'am Leader Mansour Abbas Supports National Service for Arab Youth, Criticizes Right-Wing on Crime and Sovereignty

Mansour Abbas, chairman of the Ra'am party, expressed his support for promoting a national-civil service framework for young people in the Arab community during the Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth National Security Conference in cooperation with the INSS on June 3, 2024. Abbas emphasized the necessity of such a service both at the community and national levels, stating it would meet the needs and expectations of Arab youth and Israeli society at large.

In an interview with former MK Ofer Shelah, Abbas criticized the reluctance of much of the political opposition to publicly invite his party into a future government coalition. He condemned the ongoing fear campaign against Arab citizens, asserting that most are law-abiding and eager to integrate and take collective responsibility. Abbas accused both sides of obstructing Arab citizens’ full citizenship: the political right for excluding them from coalition talks, and some Arab political forces for promoting separation instead of shared responsibility.

Abbas also highlighted the issue of crime in Arab towns, particularly in Nazareth, accusing the right-wing nationalist camp of surrendering sovereignty to criminal organizations that impose their own order and extort protection money. He described this as a “state within a state” phenomenon, where criminal groups, not law-abiding Arab citizens, control parts of Israel.

Regarding Jewish-Arab relations after the October 7 massacre, Abbas acknowledged increased suspicion but noted widespread condemnation of the attack across communities. He cited former police chief Kobi Shabtai’s praise of Arab citizens’ exemplary behavior and expressed hope for growing social cohesion despite ongoing conflict and mutual distrust.

Reflecting on Ra’am’s external support for the 2021 change government, Abbas said the experience proved cooperation across political divides is possible and beneficial. He criticized efforts to delegitimize Ra’am and himself, arguing the change government outperformed the right-wing government in many respects. Abbas noted growing public support among Jewish Israelis for including Arab parties in government, with 40% now in favor compared to 5% previously, and 70% supporting a unity or change government involving Ra’am over new elections.