Ra’am leader Mansour Abbas faces a difficult choice in Israel’s government formation talks, with his party’s participation potentially dependent on whether he agrees to label Hamas a terrorist organisation. Gadi Eisenkot, tasked with assembling a government after October’s elections, has demanded that Abbas accept that designation and recognise Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.
Israel’s Ynet news website reported that Abbas had indicated to parties opposing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he would accept the Hamas designation in return for a genuine coalition partnership. Abbas denied on Wednesday that he had made such a declaration. Earlier in the week, he had restated his party’s support for disarming Hamas and its condemnation of terrorism.
Ra’am represents Palestinian citizens of Israel, who account for about 20 percent of the population, excluding Palestinians living under Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza. Abbas views government participation, which his party previously pursued in 2021, as a means of improving their lives and removing Netanyahu and other far-right politicians from power. But critics would regard the Hamas designation as an endorsement of Israel’s narrative during its war in Gaza, which has killed more than 74,600 Palestinians.
Ra’am’s eight parliamentary seats could substantially strengthen Eisenkot’s efforts to build a government from a bloc holding 48 seats. Both Ra’am and the Arab-led Joint List recommended him for prime minister. The Joint List is less likely to accept his conditions, making any support it provides more likely to come from outside the coalition. The allegiances of ultra-Orthodox parties and resistance to Ra’am among Eisenkot’s prospective partners remain additional obstacles.
Ehab Jabareen, an analyst and Palestinian citizen of Israel, told Al Jazeera that Eisenkot’s demands aim to make cooperation with Ra’am more acceptable to Jewish Israeli voters and coalition allies. Abbas has also raised concerns about his personal safety. During consultations with President Isaac Herzog on November 5, he said he needed room to act as a bridge between Jews and Palestinians, adding: “Leave me also a space to protect myself and my family.”
Recognition of Israel’s Jewish character presents a separate difficulty. Abbas acknowledged in 2021 that Israel had been founded as a Jewish state, but clarified this year that recognising that reality did not amount to endorsing it. Jabareen said Abbas was balancing his Palestinian constituency’s beliefs against efforts to gain wider Israeli acceptance, arguing that he had placed too much emphasis on the latter.
Netanyahu has used the possibility of Ra’am entering an Eisenkot government to portray parties representing Palestinian citizens as a threat to Israel. Meanwhile, reports say his close associate and former chief of staff, Natan Eshel, contacted Abbas about his position on supporting Eisenkot. Jabareen described Netanyahu’s public approach as an effort to increase the political cost of securing Ra’am’s backing.
Abbas could enter the coalition, support a minority administration from outside or move into opposition. External support could give him more freedom to challenge government decisions, Jabareen said. However, Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman opposes a minority government reliant on Arab-led parties. He has instead urged Eisenkot to work with ultra-Orthodox parties despite earlier disagreements over military conscription for Jewish religious students.
Even an agreement could face pressure from renewed conflict, Jabareen warned, particularly a wider Gaza war or escalation involving Al-Aqsa, the West Bank or Lebanon. In 2022, Ra’am suspended its coalition participation over Israeli police raids and violence at Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem. Jabareen said another sustained escalation could lead the party to object and then suspend its involvement again.
