Posted on Jan 17, 2022
Arab leader's gamble to play kingmaker in Israel is paying off
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https://www.npr.org/2022/01/17/ [login to see] /arab-leaders-gamble-to-play-kingmaker-in-israel-is-paying-off
Mansour Abbas broke a longstanding taboo when he led his Arab party into Israel's governing coalition last year. The bold move appears to be paying dividends.
Abbas, a once obscure politician, is the linchpin of the shaky union, securing hefty budgets and favorable policies for his constituents and even winning an audience with the king of Jordan.
"We are equal partners the whole way, part of the coalition, for the first time in the state of Israel," Abbas recently told the Israeli news site Ynet. "We are compromising to solve the Arab society's problems."
Abbas' pragmatic approach has secured funding for housing, electricity and crime-fighting in Israel's traditionally neglected Arab sector. He also has not been afraid to confront his partners to get what he needs.
Mansour Abbas broke a longstanding taboo when he led his Arab party into Israel's governing coalition last year. The bold move appears to be paying dividends.
Abbas, a once obscure politician, is the linchpin of the shaky union, securing hefty budgets and favorable policies for his constituents and even winning an audience with the king of Jordan.
"We are equal partners the whole way, part of the coalition, for the first time in the state of Israel," Abbas recently told the Israeli news site Ynet. "We are compromising to solve the Arab society's problems."
Abbas' pragmatic approach has secured funding for housing, electricity and crime-fighting in Israel's traditionally neglected Arab sector. He also has not been afraid to confront his partners to get what he needs.
Arab leader's gamble to play kingmaker in Israel is paying off
Posted from npr.org
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Posted >1 y ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."But he also is being forced to perform a delicate balancing act between the desires of his Arab voters and his Jewish coalition partners. His every move is being watched by his constituents, whose stake in the country's democracy could falter if he fails to bring long-term changes.
"The fact that Arabs are sitting around the table in government is no small matter," said Nasreen Haddad Haj-Yahya, director of the Arab Society in Israel program at the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem think tank. "The question is will this political power translate to actions that citizens feel in their day-to-day lives?"
Abbas made history last June when his small Islamist party became the first Arab faction to join an Israeli coalition. Through Israel's 73-year history, Arab parties have remained in the opposition, slamming the government and wanting no part in policies against their Palestinian brethren in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Their Jewish counterparts have often viewed them as potential security threats and enemies from within.
Palestinian citizens of Israel make up a fifth of Israel's 9.4 million people. While many are integrated into Israeli society, the community is generally poorer and less educated than Jews and has long faced discrimination and questions about its loyalty. Arab voter turnout has typically been lower than Jews and reached a nadir in elections last year.
The coalition, made up of 61 lawmakers out of Israel's 120-seat Knesset, now relies on Abbas' four party members to pass legislation, approve a budget and keep the government afloat."...
..."But he also is being forced to perform a delicate balancing act between the desires of his Arab voters and his Jewish coalition partners. His every move is being watched by his constituents, whose stake in the country's democracy could falter if he fails to bring long-term changes.
"The fact that Arabs are sitting around the table in government is no small matter," said Nasreen Haddad Haj-Yahya, director of the Arab Society in Israel program at the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem think tank. "The question is will this political power translate to actions that citizens feel in their day-to-day lives?"
Abbas made history last June when his small Islamist party became the first Arab faction to join an Israeli coalition. Through Israel's 73-year history, Arab parties have remained in the opposition, slamming the government and wanting no part in policies against their Palestinian brethren in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Their Jewish counterparts have often viewed them as potential security threats and enemies from within.
Palestinian citizens of Israel make up a fifth of Israel's 9.4 million people. While many are integrated into Israeli society, the community is generally poorer and less educated than Jews and has long faced discrimination and questions about its loyalty. Arab voter turnout has typically been lower than Jews and reached a nadir in elections last year.
The coalition, made up of 61 lawmakers out of Israel's 120-seat Knesset, now relies on Abbas' four party members to pass legislation, approve a budget and keep the government afloat."...
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Sometimes it's Better to Work from Within the System.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."But he also is being forced to perform a delicate balancing act between the desires of his Arab voters and his Jewish coalition partners. His every move is being watched by his constituents, whose stake in the country's democracy could falter if he fails to bring long-term changes.
"The fact that Arabs are sitting around the table in government is no small matter," said Nasreen Haddad Haj-Yahya, director of the Arab Society in Israel program at the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem think tank. "The question is will this political power translate to actions that citizens feel in their day-to-day lives?"
Abbas made history last June when his small Islamist party became the first Arab faction to join an Israeli coalition. Through Israel's 73-year history, Arab parties have remained in the opposition, slamming the government and wanting no part in policies against their Palestinian brethren in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Their Jewish counterparts have often viewed them as potential security threats and enemies from within.
Palestinian citizens of Israel make up a fifth of Israel's 9.4 million people. While many are integrated into Israeli society, the community is generally poorer and less educated than Jews and has long faced discrimination and questions about its loyalty. Arab voter turnout has typically been lower than Jews and reached a nadir in elections last year."...
..."But he also is being forced to perform a delicate balancing act between the desires of his Arab voters and his Jewish coalition partners. His every move is being watched by his constituents, whose stake in the country's democracy could falter if he fails to bring long-term changes.
"The fact that Arabs are sitting around the table in government is no small matter," said Nasreen Haddad Haj-Yahya, director of the Arab Society in Israel program at the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem think tank. "The question is will this political power translate to actions that citizens feel in their day-to-day lives?"
Abbas made history last June when his small Islamist party became the first Arab faction to join an Israeli coalition. Through Israel's 73-year history, Arab parties have remained in the opposition, slamming the government and wanting no part in policies against their Palestinian brethren in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Their Jewish counterparts have often viewed them as potential security threats and enemies from within.
Palestinian citizens of Israel make up a fifth of Israel's 9.4 million people. While many are integrated into Israeli society, the community is generally poorer and less educated than Jews and has long faced discrimination and questions about its loyalty. Arab voter turnout has typically been lower than Jews and reached a nadir in elections last year."...
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