Former Knesset member Yoav Segalovich announced Monday that he will run with Ra’am in the upcoming elections, joining the party led by Mansour Abbas while rejecting arguments that Jewish-Arab political cooperation is no longer viable after October 7.
Segalovich and Ra’am chairman Abbas disclosed the agreement in a joint statement, N12 reported. Segalovich said he reached the decision after extensive discussions with Abbas.
“After lengthy deliberations and many conversations with Dr. Mansour Abbas, I decided that the right thing to do is to take action and join the Ra’am list. Precisely at this time, during a period of social polarization between Jews and Arabs,” Segalovich said.
The partnership does not require either side to abandon its political identity or resolve its disagreements, Segalovich added.
“I do not intend to change Mansour or Ra’am, and they will not change me, but political cooperation is possible based on trust, recognition of differences and a commitment to working together,” he said.
Likud criticized Segalovich’s decision, citing Abbas’ positions on Hamas and Hezbollah as well as his support for Palestinian statehood. The party also tied the move to opposition figures Eisenkot, Liberman, and Yair Golan.
“Segalovich will not hide the fact that Mansour Abbas is unwilling to recognize Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist organizations and is pushing to establish a Palestinian state. Together with Eisenkot, Liberman and Yair Golan, they are going to establish a Palestinian-state government,” Likud said.
Segalovich said joining Ra’am had not altered his own political principles, which he described as grounded in Jewish and Zionist values. He called Israel’s Declaration of Independence “a compass and not just a text written on the wall.”
He also rejected the contention that the Hamas-led October 7 attack had made cooperation with Arab political parties untenable.
“The common assertion that after October 7, it is impossible to maintain a political partnership with Arab parties is baseless and false,” Segalovich said.
