Mansour Abbas

Mansour Abbas (born 22 April 1974) is an Israeli Arab politician and leader of the United Arab List (Ra'am), an Islamist party advocating for the interests of Arab citizens within Israel's political framework. A trained dentist with a Doctor of Dental Medicine, Abbas has served as a member of the Knesset since 2019, representing the northern town of Maghar where he was born.

Abbas gained prominence in 2021 by steering Ra'am into Israel's governing coalition under Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, marking the first time an independent Arab party participated in such an arrangement and shifting focus from ideological opposition to pragmatic civic engagement. This move enabled Ra'am to secure substantial budget allocations for Arab communities, targeting persistent challenges such as rising crime rates, gun violence, and inadequate housing and infrastructure—issues Abbas prioritized over symbolic disputes with the state.

Abbas studied dentistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem-Hadassah Medical School, a choice driven by familial expectations and economic pragmatism rather than personal preference. While enrolled in the program during the 1990s, he immersed himself in campus politics, eventually chairing the Arab Students Committee and forging connections within Islamist circles, including with influential figures like Sheikh Abdullah Darwish. This period marked the onset of his shift from professional training toward activism, though he completed his degree as Israel's premier dentistry program.