Arab Parties Hadash, Ta'al, and Balad Unite for Upcoming Israeli Elections Without Mansour Abbas

The Arab parties Hadash, Ta'al, and Balad have agreed to run together on a joint list in the upcoming Israeli Knesset elections, excluding Mansour Abbas's Ra'am party. Hadash chairman Yousef Jabareen will lead the list, with Ta'al leader Ahmad Tibi serving as the faction chairman. The agreed order places Jabareen first, Tibi second, and Balad chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh third. The fourth, sixth, and seventh spots are allocated to Hadash, the fifth and eighth to Balad, and the ninth to Ta'al, with a rotation agreement between the sixth and ninth positions.

This alliance marks a significant development following the last elections, where Balad ran separately and failed to pass the electoral threshold, receiving 138,617 votes (2.91%) but no Knesset seats. Hadash and Ta'al ran together then and currently hold five seats combined. Now, Balad is rejoining Hadash and Ta'al, while Ra'am, led by Mansour Abbas, remains outside the union and is projected to win 5-6 seats independently according to polls.

Polls suggest that the joint list of Hadash, Ta'al, and Balad could secure nine seats in the next Knesset, strengthening Arab representation. The cooperation aims to consolidate votes and improve electoral success after previous fragmentation.