Mansour Abbas, leader of the Ra'am party, ahead of the Israeli elections scheduled for next week, warned about the negative consequences of Benjamin Netanyahu's re-election, describing it as "a catastrophe for the Israeli government."
Concerns About Political Consequences
In an interview with the media, Abbas said: "If Netanyahu and his right-wing allies return to power, the consequences for the Arab community will be extremely serious." He expressed hope that the Ra'am party could increase its seats from five to eight, which could be very influential in the 120-seat Knesset.
A Wish for Change
During his election activities in Nazareth, the birthplace of Jesus Christ, Abbas expressed optimism, stating: "We will do our utmost to ensure that the election results lead to desired changes and replace the current racist and fascist right-wing government with a new one." He emphasized that their only option is to collaborate with the change bloc.
Abbas also referred to his role in Israel's recent political history, noting that about 20 percent of Israel's population is Arab, descended from Palestinians who remained after the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. He deemed the title "influential in decision-making" for the upcoming elections as incorrect, stating that it is impossible to cooperate with Netanyahu.
In this context, Netanyahu's main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, a former army commander, has been cautious about forming a coalition with Arab representatives. He pointed out that some Jewish Israeli voters might consider a government supported by Arabs as illegitimate.
Netanyahu's government has also taken severe actions in Gaza and established an unprecedented number of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Meanwhile, his right-wing finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has proposed a plan to alter the demographics of predominantly Arab areas in Israel.
As the elections approach, Mansour Abbas, seeking to garner more support, has added a Jewish candidate named Yoav Segalovich to the Ra'am party list. Segalovich is known for his efforts to reduce crime in Arab communities.
