Mansour Abbas Declares 'State of Palestine Exists,' Sparking Political Storm in Israel

Mansour Abbas, leader of the United Arab List (Ra'am), ignited controversy on Saturday evening by stating at Ra'am's 28th national conference in Tayibe that "the State of Palestine exists" and calling for recognition of Palestine by Israel and the United States. Abbas emphasized the party's commitment to achieving peace between Israel and Palestine and described Ra'am's role as a bridge for reconciliation between Palestinians and Israelis.

The remarks provoked swift responses from Israeli political figures. Gadi Eizenkot, head of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, rejected the notion of a Palestinian state, asserting that no such state would be established under any government he participates in. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Abbas's statement, declaring that "as long as I am prime minister, no Iranian-controlled Palestinian state will be established in Gaza or the West Bank." Netanyahu accused the left-wing coalition of partnering with the Muslim Brotherhood and criticized Eizenkot, Avigdor Lieberman, and Yoav Kisch for supporting Abbas's allies.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also criticized Abbas, accusing him of seeking to establish a "terror state" and reinstate conditions in prisons that Ben-Gvir had previously canceled. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich challenged Eizenkot to clarify his position on construction in the E1 area, framing support for building there as opposition to a Palestinian state and the two-state solution.

The Ra'am conference, attended by about 1,050 party members from across the Arab community in Israel, also selected candidates for the upcoming Knesset elections. Abbas highlighted Ra'am's political strategy of influencing Israeli politics from within and claimed the party has made it a realistic possibility for an Arab party to join a governing coalition. He called for peace that would end occupation and conflict, stressing the role of Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel as a bridge to mutual understanding and security for all people in the region.