[Politics] Can United Arab List change Israeli politics from within?

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In view of the political drama surrounding Benjamin Netanyahu's departure, a novum in Israeli politics almost faded into the background: For the first time in Israel's history Mansour Abbas' United Arab List (Ra'am) became part of a coalition.

However, Ra'am faces the difficult task of walking a fine line between catering to its Palestinian voters and being a reasonable partner to Israel's extreme right.

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Even though Palestinians make up almost 20 percent of Israel's po[CENSORED]tion, a voice for the minority has traditionally been largely excluded from the political decision-making process.

Their representatives were personae non-gratae, undesirables, not only in ultra-orthodox and right-wing circles liberals but also for secular left and parties.

After the March 2020 elections, Ra'am offered to support a centre-left coalition under Benny Gantz. However, Gantz turned down the offer - for fear of being torn apart by the right-wing camp as an Arab Fraterniser and instead entered a coalition with his rival - a choice he will have regretted by now.

Thanks to Netanyahu, who in the past was often inclined to politicise the Arab question ad nauseam and stir up antipathy against them, Ra'am is now a member of the Israeli government.

“A taboo was broken, ironically by the arbitrator camp, which tried – and failed – to get Arab support for the arbitrator’s coalition. The methods used were quite despicable,” Benyamin Neuberger, professor emeritus of political science at The Open University of Israel, told Al Jazeera.

However, Parliament legitimized Ra'am, allowing the anti-Netanyahu camp - the Bloc for Change - to get Ra'am to join the coalition.

“From now on, any coalition with Arab parties has become legitimate – and this for the first time in Israeli history,” said Neuberger.

Mansour Abbas, leader of the United Arab List, also known by the Hebrew acronym Ra'am, votes at a polling station in Maghar, Israel [File: Mahmoud Illean/AP]
Within the system
However, it was not merely the political landscape that has to witness a change but also Israel's society. In February 2020, polls indicated only 23 percent of Jewish voters would support the idea that the country's Arab parties support an Israeli government. In April 2021, a poll found now 48 percent of Jewish idea had warmed up to the.

Ra'am thus became cognizant that it can achieve more within the system.

Usually, the Palestine question would dominate the election programs of the Arab parties, but turnout among the Arab community remained relatively low. This year's turnout marked the worst in history, at 44.6 percent.

Nonetheless, this indifference to politics forced Arab parties to usher in a paradigm shift, away from prioritising Palestinians in the occupied territories and towards improving the living conditions of their voters, the Palestinian citizens of Israel. It is a strategy change that made sense, given that voting Palestinian citizens appear to be interested in their own fate, first and foremost.

The Arab parties are responding to the changing mood of their voters, who are interested in bread-and-butter issues: rising criminal violence in the Arab towns and villages; education; social services; discrimination in employment and municipal budgets, said Neuberger.

“Ra’am was successful in going with the trend.”

However, while Ra'am has benefitted from this new reality in Israel, the status quo will not necessarily represent the future. Fundamental concerns among Jews towards Ra'am remain regarding defense, public security, and foreign policy.