Mansour Abbas Supports Arab-Run Civil Service Without Military Ties for Israeli Arabs

Mansour Abbas, chairman of the United Arab List (Ra'am) and a member of the Knesset, has expressed support for a voluntary civil service program tailored for the Arab community in Israel. Speaking recently at the National Security Conference hosted by Yedioth Ahronoth, Abbas emphasized the need for a framework that addresses both the needs of young Arabs and the broader expectations of Israeli society. In an interview with the Arab-Israeli news site Bakara, Abbas clarified that the proposed civil service would be entirely separate from military or security roles. He further stated that the service would be managed by Arabs and would pursue objectives reflecting Arab identity. Abbas stressed that this civil service initiative should receive approval from the highest Arab institutions in Israel, including the Higher Follow-Up Committee and the Committee of Local Authority Heads, to ensure it represents a consensus within the Arab leadership.