Ahead of Israel’s parliamentary elections on October 27, Mansour Abbas, leader of the United Arab List (Raam), a socially conservative Islamist party representing the country’s Arab minority, has emerged as a pivotal figure in the political landscape. His role as a potential kingmaker has drawn intense scrutiny from both allies and opponents, reflecting the complex dynamics of coalition-building in Israel’s multiparty system.

Abbas, a former dentist and current imam, heads Raam, which represents roughly 20 percent of Israel’s population—its Arab citizens. His political agenda emphasizes improving the socio-economic conditions of Arab Israelis, focusing on combating violent crime and discriminatory housing policies rather than the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the West Bank and Gaza. This distinction contrasts sharply with portrayals by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing allies, who have warned Jewish voters that Abbas’s influence could lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state within Israel’s borders.

Since first gaining prominence in 2021 by negotiating with Netanyahu to join a coalition government—though ultimately supporting the prime minister’s ouster—Abbas has maintained a unique political posture. His efforts have often bridged sharply divided communities, rejecting violence and extremism. Following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks that killed approximately 1,200 Israelis and took around 250 hostages, Abbas condemned the violence immediately, denounced Hamas repeatedly, and participated in efforts to house Israeli citizens displaced by the conflict along the Gaza border.

Despite these efforts to foster cooperation, Abbas faces criticism from multiple directions. Netanyahu’s campaign has depicted him as a security threat, painting him as sympathetic to terrorism. Opposition Zionist leaders, who once praised Abbas’s leadership, now publicly distance themselves to court right-wing voters. Meanwhile, other Arab parties that take a more oppositional stance toward all Israeli governments have accused him of compromising Arab interests.

Abbas remains undeterred, positioning himself as a bridge-builder between Arab and Jewish Israelis. At a rally in Tuba-Zangariya, a Bedouin town in northern Israel, he rallied supporters around the idea of partnership and influence within Israeli society, insisting that Arab citizens refuse to be marginalized. In a significant strategic move, Abbas announced a rare alliance with Yoav Segalovitz, a center-left Jewish lawmaker and former senior police official, naming him the second candidate on Raam’s ticket. This coalition across political and ethnic lines marks an unprecedented bid to broaden Raam’s appeal and reshape Israeli politics.

Abbas’s political trajectory exemplifies the evolving role of Israel’s Arab minority in national politics and underscores the challenges of balancing ideological divides amid enduring national security concerns. As the election approaches, his influence may prove decisive in determining the composition of Israel’s next government.