Millionaire Avi Shaked Submits Joint Jewish-Arab List for 2026 Knesset Elections

Avi Shaked Launches Joint Jewish-Arab List

With the official registration deadline for the 2026 Knesset elections fast approaching, businessman and entrepreneur Avi Shaked has submitted his party's candidate list. The party, named "BeYachad Netzliach" (Together We Will Succeed), is running in the upcoming national elections scheduled for October 27, 2026.

Shaked, 73, whose personal wealth is estimated at over 1 billion NIS, founded the party to foster a genuine partnership between Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel. According to the party's platform, "BeYachad Netzliach" is a joint Jewish-Arab list built on the core belief that all Israeli citizens share a common interest: full civil equality, personal security in every town and neighborhood, and a diplomatic process aimed at regional stability and peace.

The Top Five Candidates

The top five candidates on the submitted list represent diverse communities within Israeli society:

1. Avi Shaked – Party Chairman, businessman, entrepreneur, and co-founder of the Geneva Initiative.

2. Naim al-Atawna – Bedouin public figure from Hura in the Negev.

3. Hatem Atallah – Druze public figure from Yirka.

4. Hala Suleiman – Social activist from Nazareth.

5. Dirar Amrih – Young public figure from Tamra.

According to the party, this lineup reflects its core mission: full Jewish-Arab partnership and representation for all segments of Israel's Arab society—including Bedouins, Druze, and residents of the Galilee and the Triangle—alongside a new generation of public activists.

Upon submitting the list, Avi Shaked stated:

"We submitted a list today that represents what most of the Israeli public already knows, even if politicians refuse to admit it: there is no future for this society without a real partnership between Jews and Arabs. Not tolerance, not promises—partnership."

Shaked criticized traditional Arab political parties for remaining in the opposition for decades, leaving their constituents without budgets, personal security, or urban planning. He emphasized that "BeYachad Netzliach" aims to enter the government coalition to deliver tangible results rather than just protest from the opposition benches.

From Gambling Empire to Socialist Politics

While Avi Shaked is widely recognized today for his political activism and involvement in the peace camp, he has a business career spanning several decades. Born in Netanya, Shaked is a co-founder of 888, an online gambling giant that later rebranded as Evoke and is traded on the London Stock Exchange.

Shaked founded 888 in 1995 alongside his brother Aaron and brothers Shay and Ron Ben-Yitzhak. A decade later, the company went public in London at a valuation of approximately $1.1 billion. In 2021, the company expanded significantly by acquiring the international operations of William Hill for about $3 billion.

Beyond 888, Shaked and his partners acquired a 15% stake in Tadiran Telecom. His family also invested tens of millions of dollars in the drone manufacturer Aeronautics, eventually holding a 70% stake before it was sold to Rafael Advanced Defense Systems for approximately 1 billion NIS.

Despite his immense wealth, Shaked has been a prominent figure in the Israeli left for decades. He was a member of the Labor Party for over 40 years, a close political ally of Yossi Beilin, and a key backer of the Geneva Initiative. In 2005, he branded himself as a "millionaire socialist," advocating for raising the minimum wage and reducing social gaps. He ran for the leadership of the Labor Party in 2021 and 2024 before establishing "BeYachad Netzliach."

Last year, Shaked also entered negotiations to acquire the management rights of the Bnei Sakhnin football club, meeting with club chairman Mohammed Abu Younes, though the transaction was ultimately not finalized.