Three Arab Parties Agree on Joint List for Israeli Elections Without Mansour Abbas

Three Arab parties in Israel, Hadash, Ta'al, and Balad, have reached an agreement to run together in the upcoming 26th Knesset elections, while the United Arab List (Ra'am) led by Mansour Abbas will run separately. The deal was finalized after weeks of intense negotiations that almost collapsed. According to the agreement, Hadash chairman Yousef Jabareen will head the joint list, followed by Ta'al leader Ahmad Tibi in second place, and Balad's Sami Abu Shehadeh in third.

The allocation of additional list positions was also agreed upon: fourth, sixth, and seventh places to Hadash; fifth and eighth to Balad; and ninth to Ta'al. A rotation arrangement between the sixth and ninth spots will allow Ta'al to swap seats with Hadash during the Knesset term. Ta'al will also receive significant parliamentary roles, including deputy Knesset speaker, faction leadership, and membership in key committees such as Finance and the Knesset Committee, compensating for its fewer guaranteed list spots.

Ra'am, under Mansour Abbas, will not join the joint list and is expected to run independently, with internal party elections scheduled for Saturday. Reports suggest that former Yesh Atid MK Yoav Segalovich might join Ra'am, though no final decision has been made. This division marks a departure from previous elections when four Arab parties ran united, potentially affecting Arab representation in the next Knesset.

The breakthrough came after a pivotal meeting between Jabareen and former MK Osama Saadi of Ta'al, which accelerated the agreement. The split creates two main Arab political blocs: the joint list of Hadash, Ta'al, and Balad, and Ra'am led by Abbas, shaping the political landscape ahead of the elections.