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Segalovich will run for the United Arab List in Israel’s elections
Former Israeli lawmaker Yoav Segalovich announced that he will run for the United Arab List, led by Mansour Abbas, in the Knesset elections planned for October 27. The decision drew criticism from coalition representatives but received opposition support; one poll projected 52 seats for the Netanyahu bloc, 55 for Jewish opposition parties and 13 for Arab lawmakers.
The prospect of a Jewish former lawmaker running in Israel’s politics on a list that also includes Arab candidates has prompted differing reactions from the coalition and opposition ahead of the Knesset elections planned for October 27. Former lawmaker Yoav Segalovich announced that he would join the United Arab List led by Mansour Abbas.
Abbas announces Segalovich’s inclusion on the list
Mansour Abbas announced at a joint press conference on Monday evening that Segalovich, who previously served as a lawmaker for Yesh Atid, had joined the United Arab List. Abbas said voters faced a choice between taking part in decision-making mechanisms and returning to the opposition benches.
The leader of the United Arab List also referred to the formation in 2021 of former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s government with the support of his list. He said the list had chosen to bring the issue of combating crime and violence to the government and had included Segalovich, with whom it had worked in this area, on its candidate list again.
Abbas also said they were open to supporting Jewish opposition parties seeking to form an alternative to the Netanyahu government after the election if the demands of Arab citizens and Palestinians in general were met.
Segalovich points to a shared civic identity
Segalovich said he had made his decision after thinking about it for a long time and holding numerous meetings with Abbas. Segalovich described himself as Jewish, Zionist and secular, and said he had served as an officer in the Israeli military and police.
Segalovich said the two politicians were united by a shared Israeli civic identity despite Abbas’s identity as an Arab, religious Muslim and conservative. He said he had no intention of changing Abbas or the United Arab List, and that he himself would not be changed. He added that political cooperation could be based on trust, acceptance of differences and working together.
Segalovich also argued that the claim that political partnerships with Arab parties were impossible after October 7, 2023, was unfounded.
Coalition representatives criticize the decision
National Security Minister and Jewish Power party leader Itamar Ben-Gvir shared an altered image depicting Segalovich wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh. Likud’s Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli argued that being a Zionist was incompatible with belonging to a Palestinian national movement.
Chikli claimed that the United Arab List had leaders who refused to designate Hamas as a terrorist organization and sharply criticized Segalovich’s decision. Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana also claimed that Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yisrael party, could not form a coalition without Abbas’s support.
Ohana alleged that Segalovich’s joining the list was intended to pave the way for including the United Arab List in an Eisenkot government and said the formation of such a government should be prevented.
Opposition backs the decision as poll shows seat projections
Democrats lawmaker Gilad Kariv welcomed the decision by Segalovich and Abbas and wished both politicians success. Former Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon also said he was proud of Segalovich.
A poll published by Israel’s public broadcaster projected 52 seats for the Netanyahu bloc, 55 for Jewish opposition parties and 13 for Arab lawmakers. The figures indicate that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could have difficulty forming a new government and that Jewish opposition parties might need the support of an Arab party to reach the required majority.
Under Israeli law, forming a government requires the confidence of at least 61 lawmakers in the 120-seat Knesset.
The history of the United Arab List
Segalovich’s inclusion marks the first time that a Jewish lawmaker has joined the United Arab List, which was founded in 1996 and is associated with the southern branch of the Islamic Movement. In 1996, the movement split into a southern branch that chose to participate in elections and work within the Knesset, and a northern branch that rejected political participation and focused on outreach and social activities.
However, this is not the first time that a Jewish lawmaker has run for office within a political structure containing both Arab and Jewish elements. Ofer Cassif, a member of the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality, is also part of such a political structure.
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