United Arab List facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
United Arab List
القائمة العربية الموحدة
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| Hebrew name | הרשימה הערבית המאוחדת |
| Leader | Mansour Abbas |
| Chairman | Mansour Abbas |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Ideology |
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| National affiliation | Joint List (2015–2019; 2020–2021) |
| Seats in Knesset |
5 / 120
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| Election symbol | |
| עם عم |
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| Website | |
| (archived) | |
The United Arab List (Hebrew: הַרְשִׁימָה הַעֲרָבִית הַמְאוּחֶדֶת; Arabic: القائمة العربية الموحدة), also known as Ra'am (which means "Thunder" in Hebrew), is a political party in Israel. It is a conservative party that follows Islamic values. It is connected to the Southern Branch of the Islamic Movement.
Ra'am was once part of a larger group of parties called the Joint List. However, it left this group in January 2021. Later that year, Ra'am made history by joining a group of parties to form the thirty-sixth government of Israel. This was the first time an independent Arab party became part of the Israeli government in over 50 years. The party is currently led by Mansour Abbas.
Contents
History of Ra'am
The United Arab List party was created before the 1996 election. It is not related to an older party that had a similar name in the 1970s and 1980s.
When it started, the party teamed up with the Arab Democratic Party and the southern part of the Islamic Movement. This team was first called "Mada-Ra'am." In the 1996 election, they won four seats in the Knesset, which is Israel's parliament. Over time, the Arab Democratic Party became a smaller part of the United Arab List, and its name was removed from the party's official title.
In the 1999 election, the party gained more support and won five seats. However, some members later left the party. In the 2003 election, the party's support went down, and it only won two seats.
For the 2006 election, the United Arab List joined forces with Ahmad Tibi's Ta'al party. Together, they won four seats, with three of them going to the United Arab List. This partnership continued for the 2009 election. Before this election, the party was briefly banned from participating, but Israel's highest court allowed them to run. They won four seats again.
Later, the rule for how many votes a party needed to get seats in the Knesset changed. It became harder for smaller parties to win seats alone. Because of this, the United Arab List joined a larger group called the Joint List for the 2015 election. This group included several Arab parties. Ra'am continued to run as part of the Joint List in the 2020 election.
Joining the Government
In the 2021 elections, Ra'am won four seats in the Knesset. Because many parties had won seats, Ra'am's four seats became very important. They had the power to help decide which parties would form the next government.
On June 2, 2021, the leader of Ra'am, Mansour Abbas, signed an agreement to join a new government. This was a big moment because it was the first time an independent Arab party became a member of Israel's government. The agreement included plans to spend a lot of money (over 53 billion shekels, which is about US$16 billion) to improve things like roads, buildings, and safety in Arab towns. It also helped protect homes built without permits and recognized some Bedouin towns in the Negev desert.
In October 2021, the government approved a large plan to spend US$9.4 billion to create more job opportunities and improve health services for Arab Israelis. It also included money to improve housing, technology, and basic services in Arab areas. An extra US$1 billion was set aside to help lower crime rates in Arab communities. This plan was a major step forward for Arab Israelis, and Mansour Abbas and Ra'am were praised for making it happen. The plan became law in November.
Because of Ra'am's efforts, the government officially recognized several Bedouin villages. They also connected thousands of homes that were previously not allowed to the electricity network.
Returning to Opposition
In the 2022 Knesset elections, Ra'am won five seats, gaining one more seat than before. The party received most of its votes from Bedouin and Sunni Muslim towns. However, after this election, the party returned to being part of the opposition, meaning they were not part of the ruling government.
What Ra'am Believes In
Ra'am is an Islamist party, which means its beliefs are based on Islamic values. It is often described as a "religious Arab Muslim party."
Under the leadership of Mansour Abbas, Ra'am believes that Arab parties should be fully involved in Israeli politics. Their main goal is to improve the lives of Arab Israelis. They focus on important issues like reducing crime, creating more jobs, improving housing, and building better infrastructure in Arab communities. This is a different approach from some other Arab parties, which have often stayed in the opposition and focused more on the larger Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
The party supports the two-state solution. This means they believe there should be a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Most of Ra'am's supporters are religious or nationalist Arab Israelis. They are especially popular among the Negev Bedouin people. For example, in the 2009 election, about 80% of people in Bedouin communities voted for Ra'am.
The Islamic Movement also works in Arab towns and villages, including Bedouin settlements, to encourage people to vote. The southern part of the Islamic Movement is now a very strong force within the Ra'am party. The Islamic Movement has a religious advisory group called the Majlis-ash-Shura (or Shura Council). This council helps guide how the party's members vote in parliament.
Election Results
| Election | Leader | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Abdulmalik Dehamshe | 89,514 | 2.93 |
2 / 120
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– | Opposition |
| 1999 | 114,810 | 3.49 |
3 / 120
|
 1 |
Opposition | |
| 2003 | 65,551 | 2.08 |
1 / 120
|
 2 |
Opposition | |
| 2006 | Ibrahim Sarsur | 94,786 | 3.02 |
2 / 120
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1 |
Opposition |
| 2009 | 113,954 | 3.38 |
2 / 120
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 |
Opposition | |
| 2013 | 138,450 | 3.65 |
3 / 120
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1 |
Opposition | |
| 2015 | Masud Ghnaim | with Joint List |
4 / 120
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1 |
Opposition | |
| Apr 2019 | Mansour Abbas | 143,666 | 3.31 |
2 / 120
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2 |
Snap election |
| Sep 2019 | with Joint List |
3 / 120
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1 |
Snap election | ||
| 2020 | with Joint List |
4 / 120
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1 |
Opposition | ||
| 2021 | 167,064 | 3.79 |
4 / 120
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Coalition | |
| 2022 | 193,916 | 4.07 |
5 / 120
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1 |
Opposition | |
Knesset Members
Members of the Knesset (MKs) are like members of parliament in other countries. They represent the people in Israel's government.
Current Knesset Members
- Mansour Abbas
- Walid Taha
- Walid al-Huashla
- Iman Khatib-Yasin
- Yasser Hujirat
Former Knesset Members
- Taleb el-Sana (1996–2012)
- Abdulmalik Dehamshe (1996–2006)
- Mazen Ghnaim (2021–2022)
- Muhamad Kanan (1999–2001)
- Tawfik Khatib (1996–2001)
- Hashem Mahameed (1999–2002)
- Ibrahim Sarsur (2006–2019)
- Masud Ghnaim (2009–2019)
- Taleb Abu Arar (2013–2019)
- Abd al-Hakim Hajj Yahya (2019–2020)
- Said al-Harumi (2017–2021)
See also
In Spanish: Lista Árabe Unida para niños
- Arab members of the Knesset
