The Arab Kingmaker in Israel’s Election Who Wants a Partnership With Jews

What the report says

Mansour Abbas, an Israeli Arab politician and dentist by training, is again emerging as a potentially influential figure in Israel’s politics as the country heads into another election cycle. According to the New York Times, Abbas previously played a role in helping dislodge Benjamin Netanyahu from power, and he is now aligned with a Jewish former police commander in another effort to keep Netanyahu from returning to office.

The article frames Abbas as a “kingmaker” because his political choices can help determine whether a governing coalition can be formed. It also highlights his stated interest in building a partnership with Jewish Israelis, which is notable in a political environment often marked by deep divisions between Jewish and Arab citizens. The reported alliance with a Jewish ex-police chief suggests an attempt to appeal across communal lines and broaden his influence beyond Arab voters alone.

This development matters because Israeli governments are frequently built through fragile coalitions, making smaller parties and pivotal lawmakers unusually powerful. Abbas’s role reflects a broader pattern in Israeli politics in which Arab parties or leaders can become decisive in close contests, even when they are not part of the largest blocs. More broadly, the story points to continuing uncertainty over Netanyahu’s political future and the challenge of forming stable majorities in Israel.