Jewish-Arab breakthrough: Yoav Segalovitz may join the Ra'am list
Next week, Knesset member Yoav Segalovitz is set to meet with Ra'am chairman Mansour Abbas to discuss his inclusion in the party's electoral list in a realistic spot. Polls indicate that Segalovitz holds unique trust within the Arab sector, a move that could significantly alter Ra'am's status in Israeli politics.
Knesset member Yoav Segalovitz may join Mansour Abbas's Ra'am list and run in a realistic spot in the upcoming elections. Segalovitz, currently on vacation in Thailand, is expected to return to Israel by the middle of next week. Immediately upon his return, he will meet with Abbas to agree on the necessary steps from Ra'am's side. Simultaneously, Abbas is conducting polls in both the Arab and Jewish sectors to assess the potential impact of this move on election results.
This potential partnership signals an unprecedented shift in Israeli politics. Segalovitz, 67, headed the police investigations division during a period of high-profile probes into senior public figures, including former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Elected to the Knesset on the Yesh Atid list, he served as Deputy Minister of Public Security in the "government of change," where he spearheaded the campaign against crime in the Arab sector. The program he implemented was subsequently canceled by Minister Itamar Ben Gvir following the formation of the current government.
Abbas, 52, head of Ra'am, is currently working to distance his party from the religious institutions of the Islamic Movement, having committed to opening the party to Jewish voters and candidates.
"Yoav Segalovitz is an ideal candidate. He is part of the mainstream in Israeli society and is widely accepted in Arab society. His joining is not an election gimmick; it is a stage in the development of Ra'am," Abbas stated.
The joint path for the list led by Abbas and Segalovitz is contingent upon several conditions: Ra'am's institutions must officially adopt Abbas's calls for integration into Israeli society, including national service and acceptance of the Declaration of Independence. They must also allow Abbas to reserve a spot for Segalovitz at the top of the list.
Exceptional relations of trust were formed between Abbas and Segalovitz during their tenure in the Knesset. Every poll conducted in the Arab sector shows that Segalovitz is the only politician in Jewish society whom Arabs trust. If this union materializes, it will have significant consequences for Ra'am's status in the political system. Today, most opposition parties, including Segalovitz's current party, rule out Ra'am joining a coalition after the elections. They would find it difficult to maintain this stance if Segalovitz were Ra'am's candidate for the position of Minister of National Security.
Read more in Nahum Barnea's column in the Saturday supplement of "Yedioth Ahronoth."
