Dentist from Maghar; pragmatic head of Ra'am who became the first Arab party leader to join an Israeli governing coalition.
Positions and record
- Born 1974 in Maghar in the Galilee; trained as a dentist at Hebrew University
- Long-time head of the Southern Islamic Movement's political wing and leader of Ra'am (United Arab List)
- Led Ra'am to break from the Joint List in 2021 and chart an independent, pragmatic course in Arab-Israeli politics
- Became the first Arab party leader to join an Israeli governing coalition (Bennett-Lapid 2021-22), a historic milestone for Israeli democracy and Arab-Jewish partnership
- Secured tens of billions of shekels in development plans for Arab municipalities and recognition of Negev Bedouin villages during the Bennett-Lapid coalition
- Publicly recognizes Israel as a Jewish state and emphasizes integration of Arab citizens into Israeli civic life
- Announced in 2025 that Ra'am would open its ranks to Jewish candidates, signaling a shift toward a broader shared-society party
- Plans to run in the 2026 election as Ra'am leader but has said he will step back from national politics afterward
Cite this page
Mansour Abbas, The State of Israel. https://thestateofisrael.com/mk/mansour-abbas