Former Israeli lawmaker Yoav Segalovitz' decision to run on the United Arab List (Ra'am) in the Oct. 27 Knesset election has triggered a political backlash from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition and praise from opposition figures.
This marks the first time a Jewish member of parliament has joined the list affiliated with the Southern Branch of the Islamic Movement, founded in 1996 and headed by Mansour Abbas.
The Islamic Movement for Palestinians in Israel split in 1996 into the "Southern Branch," which chose to participate in Israeli elections and work within the Knesset through the Joint List, and the "Northern Branch," which rejected political participation and focused on religious and social activism.
However, this is not the first time a Jewish member of parliament has run for office on an Arab list; MK Ofer Cassif is a member of the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality, an Arab-Jewish party.
Abbas announced Segalovitz's decision at a joint news conference Monday, saying the former Yesh Atid lawmaker had joined the list he leads.
"Today we are facing an election, and the question before our public is clear: Do we return to the place where decisions are made, or do we return to the opposition benches? Do we continue what we started, or start from scratch with those who never started in the first place?" Abbas said, referring to the Oct. 27 election.
He was referring to the coalition government formed by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in 2021 with support from Abbas' party.
Abbas has indicated that he could support Jewish opposition parties seeking to form an alternative government after the election if they agree to his demands concerning Arab citizens in particular and Palestinians more broadly.
"The United Arab List chose to bring the issue of violence and crime back to the government, and chose to bring back the man who managed this issue with us and proved himself in it. Yoav Segalovitz is joining the United Arab List," Abbas said.
Segalovitz said he decided to join the party after extensive reflection and several discussions with Abbas, arguing that political cooperation remained possible despite growing polarization between Jews and Arabs.
"I am a Jew, a Zionist, secular, an officer in the IDF (army), and a superintendent in the Israel Police. Mansour is an Arab, religiously devout Muslim, conservative. What connects us— we are all Israelis, and that is our shared identity," Segalovitz wrote on the US social media company X.
He said he did not "intend to change Mansour and Ra'am, and they will not change me, but political cooperation is possible on the basis of trust, recognition of difference, and commitment to joint action."
"The common saying that after October 7 it is impossible to maintain political partnership with Arab parties is baseless and false," he added.
Segalovitz's comments drew criticism from members of Netanyahu's coalition.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, head of the far-right Jewish Power party, posted an edited image of Segalovitz on X Monday showing him wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh.
Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli of Likud wrote on X that "one cannot be both a Zionist and a member of the Palestinian nationalist movement, whose leaders staunchly refuse to define the Hamas-led Islamist movement—which massacred our people and raped our daughters—as a terrorist organization."
"It's hard to imagine a more horrifying Zionist bankruptcy than your cynical alliance, Yoav," he added.
Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana of Likud said on X that Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the opposition Yashar party, cannot form a coalition without Abbas.
"Segalovitz's joining the United Arab List is intended to achieve one goal: to legitimize an Islamist list whose members are unable to call Hamas a terrorist organization and bring it into an Eisenkot government," Ohana said.
"Such a government must not be established, and the way to ensure that: Vote Likud, led by Netanyahu," he added.
Opposition politicians, meanwhile, welcomed Segalovitz's decision.
Knesset member Gilad Kariv of the opposition Democrats party wrote on X: "I wish success to two courageous people whose friendship I am proud of: Yoav Segalovitz and Mansour Abbas."
"You are bringing good news tonight to the citizens of Israel, Jews and Arabs alike," he added.
Former Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon also praised Segalovitz, writing on X: "Yoav Segalovitz, I am proud of you."
Opinion polls indicate Netanyahu could struggle to form another government, while Jewish opposition parties could need support from an Arab party to secure the parliamentary majority required to govern.
A poll published Sunday by Israel's public broadcaster KAN found that Netanyahu's bloc would win 52 seats if elections were held at that time, compared with 55 seats for the Jewish opposition and 13 for Arab lawmakers.
Israeli law requires at least 61 of the Knesset's 120 members to back a government for it to be formed.
