Abbas Brings Palestinian Statehood to the Fore

Ra'am chairman Mansour Abbas put Palestinian statehood at the center of an election-season speech on Saturday, declaring that "the State of Palestine exists" and calling for an "end to the occupation," as reported by i24NEWS. Speaking at Ra'am's general conference, Abbas said Arab citizens of Israel could serve as "a bridge to peace," adding: "The State of Palestine exists and is recognized by most of the world, except for the United States and Israel. We want them to recognize it too, and we are working to achieve peace and reconciliation, an end to the occupation, and an end to the conflict."

According to Middle East Monitor, Abbas spoke at his party's general conference in the Arab city of Tayibe, where he said his party was seeking peace between Israel and Palestine, and called on Washington and Tel Aviv to recognize the state as well.

Abbas also coupled the appeal with another pitch for Arab participation in Israeli governments, saying Ra'am had "put Israeli democracy to a real test" and made the participation of an Arab party in a governing coalition "a political reality," as i24NEWS reported. He called for a new chapter in relations with Israel's three other Arab parties, proposing cooperation and coordination before and after the election.

The emphasis on the Palestinian issue is notable for a politician who built his national profile around a pragmatic strategy of joining Israeli governing coalitions and prioritizing bread-and-butter concerns in Arab communities, i24NEWS noted. In 2021, Abbas led Ra'am into the Bennett-Lapid coalition, making it the first party drawn from Israel's Arab minority to formally join an Israeli government.

Immediate Rebukes from Eisenkot and Netanyahu

Abbas's remarks drew immediate responses from opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to i24NEWS. Eisenkot responded, as quoted on platform X: "There is no Palestinian state, and under a government we form, no Palestinian state will be established."

Netanyahu reacted, as i24NEWS reported: "As long as I am prime minister, there will be no Palestinian state controlled by Iran: not in Gaza, not in Judea and Samaria. Period." Netanyahu also said: "The cost of a left-wing coalition with the Muslim Brotherhood has been exposed again."

Middle East Monitor reported Netanyahu's vow in similar terms: "As long as I am prime minister, there will be no Palestinian state controlled by Iran, neither in Gaza nor in Judea and Samaria," using the biblical term for the occupied territory. According to Middle East Monitor, his remarks came in response to Abbas's comments, and he made the statement ahead of the upcoming Knesset elections.

Election Context and Polling

Knesset elections are scheduled for October 27, as reported by Middle East Monitor. Opinion polls show Netanyahu's Likud party and its coalition partners falling short of the 61 seats required to form a government, according to the same source. A poll Friday put Likud at 20 seats, down from its current 32 seats. A Channel 13 poll published August 19 projected Netanyahu's Likud and its far-right and ultra-Orthodox allies at a combined 51 seats, 10 short of a parliamentary majority, Middle East Monitor reported.

The exchange between Abbas, Eisenkot, and Netanyahu highlights the political stakes as the election campaign intensifies, with Palestinian statehood emerging as a contested issue in the race.