Mansour Abbas Announces Plans to Retire from Israeli Politics After Upcoming Election

Mansour Abbas, chairman of the United Arab List (Ra'am) and a member of the Knesset, has declared that the upcoming election will be his last before retiring from political life. In an interview with Independent Arabia, Abbas stated he intends to step down to allow younger leadership to take over within the party. He sharply criticized the current coalition government, describing it as "racist and fascist." Abbas emphasized Ra'am's goal to replace the current government with a "government of change" that includes his party and grants it significant influence to advance the interests of the Arab community in Israel. He also expressed the party's ambition to be a key component in forming a coalition with more than 61 seats, positioning Ra'am as an essential part of any future opposition bloc.