The chairman of the Joint Arab List (Ra'am) and head of the Southern faction of the Islamic Movement in Israel, Mansour Abbas, was interviewed Wednesday morning on an Israeli morning radio talk show and said that he is ready to join the Netanyahu government under one condition.
Abbas set his condition and said: "We are ready to join the Netanyahu government today if we receive the responsibility of eradicating crime and violence in Arab society. I challenge Netanyahu if he really cares about the lives of Arab citizens."
Many in Israel are weary of Abbas and his Ra'am party, accusing them of aligning themselves with the Muslim Brotherhood which has adopted political Islam to wage jihad worldwide. The idea is that instead of war, influencing governments from within, the 'long-game' approach is more reliable in solidifying Islamic hold on a society. Despite the accusations though, Ra'am has tried to distance themselves from the Brotherhood, insisting that their only goal is to ensure Arab and Muslim interests in Israel are addressed. In the government of Naftali Bennett, Abbas seemed to confirm this with his participation and actions while in the government.
Mansour Abbas said he would join Netanyahu's government coalition today in exchange for authority for dealing with crime and violence in Arab Israeli society, adding that he challenges Netanyahu to prove he actually cares about the lives of Israel's Arab citizens. Awesome move. https://t.co/K9RvTdyFG6
— andrew mark bennett (@acandidworld) July 19, 2023
About a month ago, in response to an inquiry by Israel’s Channel 7 News, Abbas addressed the claim that they are not interested in a meeting with Ben Gvir, the minister currently managing Israeli-Arab crime: "Ben Gvir does not want to meet with us and paralyzed the entire system and pulled police forces from the Arab villages to other towns, so the result is terrible, we are paying in human lives, the numbers speak for themselves."
Regarding accusations by Ben Gvir that they are voting against the Arms and Protection Law which would help control illegal weapons sales, he said: "He is constantly lying about this, we support any proportionate step that will lead to the eradication of crime in the Arab sector."
Mansour Abbas MK. Current leader of the United Arab List in the Knesset. Chair of the Special Committee on Arab Society Affairs. Member of the Bennett/Lapid coalition government from June 2021.
— Mat Pence (@PenceMat) July 17, 2023
In a separate chain of statements made by the Israeli-Arab politicians earlier this week, Abbas said "The situation is challenging, especially every time we record new records in the victims of crime and violence in Arab society. Today we were informed that the Minister of National Security sent a letter in which he intends to cancel the plan to reduce the gaps between Arab and Jewish society, so instead of moving forward we are moving backward.”
Mansour Abbas, the head of an Arab party in Israel who made history last year by joining the governing coalition said he would not use the word “apartheid” to describe relations between Jews and Arabs within the country. pic.twitter.com/zQ18Fh3Tgb
— Bassem Eid (@realbassemeid) February 13, 2022
According to Abbas, "Arab society is in a deep crisis. The correct approach is to admit that we have failed. The violence in the Arab sector grew without an adequate response, from Arab parties themselves or from others in the Knesset. We took a step two years ago when we entered the coalition, we felt it was appropriate to be partners and take responsibility, we promoted plans and were able to lower the violence. Last year there was hope and an incredible vision, the whole world was amazed at how we did it. Today the approach is the opposite. We returned to a crazy increase in the number of victims at a rate of 250%. At the same time, all the economic and social programs established by the government to fight poverty and ignorance, in order to realize the potential of Arab society, are under a big question mark."
