Yet as of this writing, Yair Golan is the only leader of a Zionist party to have explicitly endorsed including Ra\u2019am in a future coalition. Other leading opposition figures have publicly ruled out partnering with an Arab party after October 7.<\/p>\n
That hesitation is understandable. Hamas\u2019s attack, which killed approximately 1,200 people, deeply traumatized Israeli society and strained trust between Jewish and Arab citizens, even though Israel\u2019s Arab citizens were not responsible for the massacre and many were themselves victims of Hamas\u2019s violence.<\/p>\n
![\"RA\u2019AM](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/477726.jpeg\"\/)
RA\u2019AM PARTY head Mansour Abbas speaks after signing the coalition agreement in Ramat Gan last week. (credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI\/FLASH90)<\/p>\n
In the aftermath, many Israeli Jews are wary of any political partnership that could be perceived as minimizing the threats Israel faces.<\/p>\n
But that is precisely why the question matters. Including an Arab party in the first government formed after October 7 would not simply be a matter of coalition arithmetic; it would also be a powerful statement about what kind of society Israel wants to become after one of its darkest chapters.<\/p>\n
Social psychologists have long argued that intergroup relations can improve through meaningful contact, especially when that contact is supported by political, social, and institutional authorities. Gordon Allport\u2019s Contact Hypothesis identified support from authorities as one of the key conditions under which contact between groups can reduce prejudice.<\/p>\n
Later scholars, including Thomas Pettigrew, expanded on this insight by emphasizing that authority support helps establish new social norms. When leaders endorse cooperation, they signal that partnership with members of another community is legitimate, acceptable, and even desirable.<\/p>\n
This insight has profound implications for Israel after October 7. If Israeli Jewish leaders continue to exclude Arab parties<\/a> from governing coalitions, they may reinforce the perception among many Israeli Jews that Arab parties \u2013 and by extension Arab citizens \u2013 are not legitimate partners in the country\u2019s political future.<\/p>\n Conversely, if Israeli Jewish leaders choose to include an Arab party in the governing coalition, they would send a different message: that there are Arab political leaders and Arab citizens with whom Israeli Jews can work, govern, and build a shared future.<\/p>\n Such a decision would not eliminate distrust overnight. But it could help begin rebuilding trust and normalizing Jewish-Arab cooperation in a post-October 7 Israel.<\/p>\n Model of partnership<\/p>\n Of course, not just any Arab party can or should be included in government simply for symbolism. Few Israelis would expect a government formed after October 7 to partner with a party such as Balad, whose history of controversial statements and positions has placed it outside the Israeli political mainstream.<\/p>\n If the goal is to foster genuine trust and cooperation between Jews and Arabs in Israel, any Arab partner in government must work constructively with Jewish political leaders rather than treat cooperation as betrayal. Such a partner must also condemn violence and inflammatory rhetoric while encouraging coexistence and civic partnership.<\/p>\n After all, if political leaders help shape the social norms of their communities, Arab political leaders also play a role in shaping whether Arab citizens view cooperation with Israeli Jews as legitimate and desirable. Among Israel\u2019s current Arab political leaders, Mansour Abbas has done more than anyone else to meet that standard.<\/p>\n Abbas put many of these ideas into practice during the Bennett-Lapid government from 2021 to 2022. As Yisrael Klitsner, who served as a policy adviser during that government, has observed, Abbas distinguished himself by focusing on practical problem-solving and delivering results for his constituents rather than pursuing ideological purity.<\/p>\n This pragmatic approach not only made him a reliable partner in the unity government, but also helped produce concrete gains for Israel\u2019s Arab community, including critical funding and municipal reforms.<\/p>\n