What’s behind an Israeli Islamist politician’s budding relationship with Netanyahu? What’s behind an Israeli Islamist politician’s budding relationship with Netanyahu? Veteran Arab political observer Shaheen Sarsour said even though the Joint Arab List has 15 members in the Knesset, “it does not influence the government. Mansour Abbas’s move was meant to change that.” (December 18, 2020 / JNS) Joint Arab List Knesset member Mansour Abbas raised eyebrows and angered some of his fellow Arab lawmakers after seeking to improve ties with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud Party, yet the real motivation behind the move went largely unnoticed.