Led by Mansour Abbas, Ra’am became the first Arab party to join an Israeli governing coalition in 2021 under the government of Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, a move that sparked broad debate inside Israel and among Arab communities.
The party currently holds five seats in the Knesset.
Israeli political discourse has seen growing pressure on Arab parties and movements since the start of the war on Gaza, with right-wing groups repeatedly accusing some Arab factions of “supporting terrorism” over their positions on the war and humanitarian activities related to Gaza.
The current Knesset term is set to end in October, although lawmakers on Wednesday approved a preliminary vote to dissolve parliament, potentially paving the way for early elections if the bill passes three additional readings.
The Israeli army launched a brutal two-year offensive on Gaza in October 2023, killing more than 72,000 people, injuring over 172,000 and causing massive destruction across the besieged territory.
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