Jewish former MK Yoav Segalovitz announces unprecedented run with Arab Ra’am party

Ra’am chairman Mansour Abbas announced Monday that Yoav Segalovitz, a Jewish former police official and deputy minister, will run with his historically Arab and Islamist party in the October 27 election. The announcement capped weeks of speculation that Segalovitz would take the unprecedented step of joining with Ra’am, and while he will run with the party in the election in a technical bloc, he will not officially become a member of Ra’am in order to retain freedom of action after the election. According to Abbas, Ra’am’s top priority is to eliminate violence against innocent civilians amid a years-long wave of violent crime in Israel’s Arab community. Speaking at a press conference in Nazareth, Abbas asserted that every Arab parent goes to sleep asking themselves, “Will my children return home safely?” The only way to accomplish that goal is to create partnerships and “to see the other as a human being, not as an enemy,” he continued, praising Segalovitz as “an officer who has stood up to criminals his whole life without asking what their religion is” and “an honest, quiet man who doesn’t seek headlines.” Segalovitz established the police’s Lahav 433 unit to fight serious crime and is a former commander of the police’s Investigations and Intelligence Division. He was credited with helping to reduce crime in Arab Israeli communities during his tenure as deputy minister for public security in the 2021-22 government headed by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid. Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Newsletter email address Get it By signing up, you agree to the terms Polling has shown that the inclusion of Segalovitz, a former member of the centrist Yesh Atid party who recently resigned from the Knesset, could boost Ra’am’s showing at the polls. Yoav Segalovitz, at a press conference announcing a joint Knesset run with Ra’am, in Nazareth. August 31, 2026. (Michael Giladi/FLASH90) A Times of Israel poll showed earlier this month that 56 percent of opposition voters would support including Ra’am with Segalovitz in a possible coalition, while 30% oppose doing so. The poll found that if Ra’am joined a governing coalition, it would give the opposition bloc a 63-seat majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Throughout Israel’s history, Jews have not served as Arab parties’ representatives in the Knesset, with the notable exception of the communist Hadash party and its predecessors, which have traditionally been associated with the Arab bloc of parties while featuring joint Arab-Jewish representation. Advertisement As for why an Arab party needs a Jewish police officer, “My answer is simple,” Abbas said. “I’m not looking for someone who is like me. I’m looking for someone who knows how to do the job. And the Arab citizen who buried his son doesn’t ask what the policeman’s religion is. He asks why no one comes.” Addressing his decision to run with Abbas, Segalovitz said that he was guided by Zionist and Jewish values and that while he and Abbas do not intend to change each other, “it is possible to cooperate politically based on trust, recognition of difference, and commitment to joint action.” “The common assertion that after October 7 it is impossible to maintain a political partnership with Arab parties is baseless and false,” he continued in reference to the 2023 Hamas-led attack that sparked the war in Gaza and conflicts across the Middle East, adding that he wants to “break the paradigm of how political partnership is created.” According to Channel 12, Segalovitz will not become a member of Ra’am and is running together with Abbas in a technical bloc. He will retain freedom of action in the Knesset while Ra’am will not change its constitution or decision-making processes. The network further reported that one of Segalovitz’s top priorities will be to advance national service for Arab citizens. Yoav Segalovitz, left, and Ra’am party chairman Mansour Abbas at a press conference announcing a joint Knesset run, in Nazareth. August 31, 2026. (Michael Giladi/FLASH90) Responding to the announcement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party accused Segalovitz of seeking to establish a Palestinian state. “Even Segalovitz won’t hide the fact that Mansour Abbas refuses to recognize Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist organizations and is pushing to establish a Palestinian state,” it said. “Together with [Gadi] Eisenkot, [Avigdor] Liberman, and Yair Golan, they are going to establish a Palestinian state government.” Advertisement Abbas recently sparked controversy when he called on Israel to recognize an “independent Palestinian state” during a speech to party delegates at their convention in Taibe. He subsequently was reported to have reassured opposition party leaders that his belief in the Palestinian right to self-determination would not be translated into a demand for policy change during potential coalition talks after the election. There is currently widespread opposition in Israel to establishing a Palestinian state. Help us report truthfully on social media As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos. This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world. If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism , please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. 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