MK Mansour Abbas, chairman of the United Arab List (Ra’am), is calling for recognition of a Palestinian state as the basis for resolving the conflict.
In a speech before Ra’am’s general conference, which is expected to approve the party’s list of candidates ahead of the Knesset elections, Abbas said that Arab citizens of Israel serve as a bridge to peace. According to him, a Palestinian state already exists and most countries in the world recognize it-with the exception of the United States and Israel. Therefore, Ra’am seeks recognition of the State of Palestine and will work to advance peace, reconciliation, and an end to the conflict.
On the political front, Abbas said that Ra’am is opening a new chapter in its relations with the three other Arab parties and called on them to sign an agreement on cooperation, coordination, division of responsibilities, a surplus-vote agreement, and a code of honor that would establish a responsible partnership both before and after the elections. According to Abbas, Ra’am has turned the question of an Arab party participating in a governing coalition into a political reality that is now being seriously discussed.
In a recent interview, Abbas said that Israeli Arabs define themselves as “Palestinian Arabs" and noted that their demands in the national sphere could include territorial autonomy, cultural autonomy, official status for the Arabic language, and land rights.
Abbas added that this will be the last election in which he runs for a seat in the Knesset, and that at the end of the next term he intends to retire and make way for the younger generation of leadership.