The Israeli declaration of independence announced on May 14, 1948, includes a call "to the Arab inhabitants of the State of Israel to preserve peace and participate in the upbuilding of the State on the basis of full and equal citizenship and due representation in all its provisional and permanent institutions."

Now, 73 years since the founding of Israel and after decades in which Palestinians were ignored, bypassed and had their national identity denied, a Palestinian citizen of Israel — the head of the United Arab List party (Raam), Mansour Abbas — has added his signature to a coalition government agreement cobbled together by Yair Lapid, the head of the Yesh Atid party.

While the new government is to be headed by an ultra-right-wing Israeli, Naftali Bennett, and is unlikely to take a stand on the Palestinian conflict, many Palestinian citizens in Israel are hailing the new government as "historic" and saying they feel the development will help legitimize Palestinians in Israel.

While Abbas has not succeeded in snatching any government position either at the ministerial or deputy ministerial level, he has proclaimed that joining the coalition will have long-term results, especially in the economic and development sectors. According to Abbas, the new Israeli government will earmark 52 billion shekels (about $16 billion) to be spent in the Arab community over the next four years. Unrecognized Bedouin villages and towns are to be gradually recognized and the law fast-tracking the demolitions of homes are to be reviewed with an eye toward ensuring that demolitions for homes built without a license should be suspended until there are approved zoning plans for any particular town or village. Palestinian citizens of Israel (like Palestinians in Jerusalem) say that they are forced to build without a license because of the restrictions on issuing housing permits due to the absence of approved zoning plans.