MK Mansour Abbas, chairman of the Ra'am party, has expressed support for civic service for Arab citizens of Israel, provided it is implemented through a tailored framework.
Speaking a few days ago with Ofer Shelah at Yediot Aharonot's National Security Conference, Abbas stated that "a framework is needed that addresses both the needs of young Arab citizens and broader Israeli expectations."
In an interview with the Israeli-Arab news outlet Bokra, Abbas clarified that he favors a voluntary service model completely divorced from any military or security apparatus.
Abbas added that civic service for the Arab public should be managed internally by Arabs, with goals defined to serve community needs and reflect Arab identity.
He stressed that any such initiative must receive the formal endorsement of the Arab community's top leadership bodies - the High Follow-Up Committee and the National Committee of Arab Local Councils - to ensure a broad consensus.