There are about 2.1 million Arab-Israelis, making up roughly 21% of the countryâs population. Their interests tend to be represented by Raâam and the Joint List, both of which have played a more prominent role in Israeli politics in recent years.
In the aftermath of the 2021 election, the Ra‘am party leader, Mansour Abbas, joined with opposition leaders from across the political spectrum to unseat Netanyahu. This made Raâam the first independent Arab party to join an Israeli coalition.
Naftali Bennettâs government collapsed after one year, opening the door for Netanyahu to return.