Mansour Abbas and Yoav Segalovich Discuss His Potential Joining of Ra'am Party

Mansour Abbas, chairman of the Ra'am party, met on Thursday morning with former Knesset member Yoav Segalovich to discuss the possibility of Segalovich joining Ra'am's list for the upcoming Knesset elections. Their joint statement described the meeting as conducted in a "good and positive spirit," with both agreeing to continue direct talks to advance the matter. This meeting comes just one week after Segalovich, a retired police commissioner and former deputy minister of public security, announced his resignation from the Yesh Atid party and the Knesset, where he had served since 2019.

The announcement of these talks sparked a sharp backlash from the Otzma Yehudit party, which condemned the potential alliance as a "plan to dismantle the Jewish state in cooperation with the left." Otzma Yehudit accused Mansour Abbas of attempting to control the Ministry of National Security through Segalovich, aiming to reinstate prisoner summer camps, halt demolitions in the Negev, and take over the Negev and Galilee ministries to turn them into Islamic territories. The party also criticized the partners for not recognizing Hamas as a terrorist organization or Israel as a Jewish state and for being subordinate to the Muslim Brotherhood's Shura Council.

In his resignation statement last week, Segalovich thanked Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid and party activists, wishing success to both Yesh Atid and the "Together" party. However, reports indicated that Segalovich had reached a preliminary agreement and was in advanced talks with Mansour Abbas. According to these reports, Segalovich is expected to be placed second on Ra'am's list for the 26th Knesset, contingent on securing one of the top three spots.

If finalized, the official announcement is expected only after Ra'am's primary elections scheduled for August 22. Sources close to Segalovich noted that no final agreement has yet been signed regarding his joining Ra'am or any other political framework, and he continues to consider his political options.