Mansour Abbas clarified his stance on national-civil service for Arab citizens of Israel, emphasizing that he supports voluntary social service rooted in community and religious values rather than obligations to the state.
In an interview with Radio al-Nas, Abbas addressed comments he made earlier this week at a conference at Tel Aviv University, where he said national service for Arab citizens could help address social challenges within Arab society.
Abbas stressed that his position aligns with that of the Arab political leadership, including the Arab parties, the Follow-Up Committee, and the Committee of Heads of Local Authorities.
“My position is the position of all the Arab parties, the Follow-Up Committee, the Committee of Heads of Local Authorities, and Arab society as a whole," Abbas said.
According to Abbas, the initiative he envisions is based on social contribution and volunteerism derived from Arab and religious values, independent of any relationship with the state.
“We all agree that social giving and volunteering - stemming from our Arab and religious values - are important in and of themselves, for our society and for our sons and daughters, regardless of relations with the state or questions of rights and duties tied to citizenship," he said.
Abbas added that he supports what he described as a “social integration project" or voluntary community service carried out freely by members of Arab society in order to address internal social needs.
“We need this for our own affairs and internal needs," he said.
He further clarified that discussions regarding arrangements with the state or the principle of “rights in exchange for duties" should only come afterward.
Abbas rejected the idea that Arab citizens’ rights are conditional upon national service or civic obligations.
“Our rights as an Arab society, as natives and indigenous people of this country, are not dependent on such conditions," Abbas said. “I am speaking about a future vision that belongs to Arab society itself."