Mansour Abbas: "The Jewish nature of the state was forced upon us, I do not deny the Nakba"

Ra'am chairman Mansour Abbas addresses in a long post he published on Facebook three central issues for which he has been attacked recently – the Jewish nature of the State of Israel, civil service, and the Nakba – and claims that his positions on the subject are distorted and presented in a way that does not reflect his intentions.

Abbas opens the post by addressing how his words should be interpreted throughout his years of political activity. "Those who think well of me will find an acceptable and reasonable interpretation of my words," he wrote, and claimed that whoever chooses to interpret him negatively will see in his words a deviation from the principles of the identity and narrative of Arab society.

According to him, the motive for his current political approach is the desire to influence reality and act for the benefit of Arab society. He explained that his love, his fear, and the sense of danger he feels in the face of injustices towards the public drive him to act for the success of the "political project" through partnership and influence.

Abbas wrote that his goal is to replace the current government with a "less harmful and more positive" government, in which the Arab public will have an active role. According to him, he seeks to act for the benefit of society and the people, "for Arabs and Jews alike."

"We want to strengthen the status of the Arab public"

Regarding the Jewish nature of the State of Israel, Abbas wrote that it is a "forced reality" and not something that Arab society chose. According to him, this is the desire of the Jewish majority and not a demand of the Arab parties, which were forced to accept it in practice.

On the other hand, he emphasizes that the central goal of the Arab parties should be to strengthen the status of the Arab public and achieve its national and civil rights, alongside integration into influencing the government rather than settling for representation from the opposition.

Abbas added that his position regarding the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and recognition of a Palestinian state alongside the State of Israel is "widely known and recognized."

"We do not want national service"

On the issue of civil service, Abbas clarified that his position is, according to him, consistent with the general position in Arab society. He described the initiative he supports as an Arab volunteer service, which is not military, security, or national, and is not mandatory.

According to him, the service should be conducted within an Arab framework and provide a response to the needs of Arab society, without linking rights and equality to duties and service. Abbas added that he opposes the current framework of national-civil service, and warns that if Arab society does not initiate an alternative, the service might be imposed on Arab youth.

The central part of the post deals with claims that Abbas has changed his positions regarding the Nakba and the Palestinian narrative. According to him, this is an "invention, distortion, and forgery" of his words.

Abbas explains that in recent years, since he adopted the approach of "partnership and influence," he has been formulating his positions and political ideas differently than before. However, he emphasizes: "This does not mean that I deny the Nakba, the displacement, or the Palestinian narrative."

According to him, the change in approach is precisely intended to learn from the past and formulate a practical concept for the future. He claims that it is possible to preserve the historical memory of the Nakba and at the same time act to strengthen Arab society, preserve its identity and existence, and prevent new forms of displacement.

Abbas also presents in the post his political vision, which includes "opening a horizon for a just solution and a political settlement" that will allow the Palestinian people and the Jewish people to live in peace in two independent states and end the occupation and the conflict.

At the end of the post, Abbas attacks his political rivals and claims that they are not willing to accept the interpretation he offers for his positions. According to him, their goal is to "distort the details and the approach and sabotage it," even at the cost of harming the interests of Arab society.

He concludes his words with a clear political statement: "Our supreme interest lies in replacing this racist government, even if it means suffering difficulties and personal sacrifice."