Skip to main content

Netanyahu’s fans hail historic speech by Israeli Arab legislator

Likud’s enthusiasm over the speech of Arab legislator Mansour Abbas might be opportunist and not candid, but it is changing Israeli politics and society irreversibly.
Mansour Abbas, head of the United Arab Party (Ra'am), delivers a speech in Nazareth, Israel, April 1, 2021.

Head of the Ra’am party Mansour Abbas addressed Israelis, in a "state-of-the-nation" like speech, on April 1.

It was not a dramatic declaration of war nor a historic announcement of peace. Nonetheless, it was probably one of the greatest political TV moments in modern Israeli history. The person facing the cameras in a live broadcast aired in primetime on all major TV channels was not a prime minister, a defense minister or military chief — he was a politician, rather anonymous until recent months, who heads Israel’s Arab Islamist party.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.