Mansour Abbas: "The State of Palestine exists. We want Israel and the USA to recognize it"
The Ra'am chairman spoke at the party's national conference where the list for the next Knesset will be determined: "We are putting Israeli democracy to the test." MK Walid Taha added: "We are not satisfied with just making demands — we are acting politically for solutions."
The 28th national conference of the United Arab List (Ra'am) opened on Saturday in Tayibe, with the participation of about 1,050 party members from across Arab society. The conference, held under the title "30 years since the founding of Ra'am," is considered one of the largest in the party's history, and will determine the list of candidates for the upcoming Knesset elections.
Ra'am chairman, MK Mansour Abbas, addressed the issue of political participation in his speech, emphasizing his party's strategy to continue influencing the Israeli political system from within.
"Ra'am has put Israeli democracy to a real test," Abbas said.
According to him, following the party's activity, the possibility of an Arab party participating in a government coalition has become a "political reality that is seriously on the table." Abbas also called for a change in approach regarding relations between Arab parties ahead of the elections, proposing a "new page" and a "charter of honor" to establish responsible partnership.
Addressing the Palestinian issue, Abbas stated:
"We, the Arab citizens in Israel, are a bridge to achieving peace. The State of Palestine exists and stands, and most of the world recognizes it, except for the United States and Israel. We want them to recognize it too, and we are working to achieve peace, reconciliation, and an end to the occupation and the conflict."
The chairman of the Islamic Movement, Sheikh Safwat Frij, emphasized that Ra'am seeks to be a "big home" for the Arab public in the Negev, the center, and the Galilee. The mayor of Sakhnin and chairman of the National Committee of Heads of Arab Local Authorities, Mazen Ganaim, praised Ra'am's path in the coalition, noting that it is "impossible to ignore" the achievements secured for Arab society, including those under the 550 five-year plan.
MK Walid Taha, chairman of the Ra'am faction, concluded:
"The difference between Ra'am and the other parties is that we are not satisfied with presenting demands, but we act politically to force the solutions. We chose to get burned in the fire of participation in the coalition in order to extinguish the fire of injustice and discrimination."
