Balad Leader Hopes Ra'am Will Join Joint Arab List Ahead of Elections

Sami Abu Shehadeh, chairman of the Balad party and former Knesset member, expressed hope that the United Arab List (Ra'am) will join the Joint List alliance, which currently includes Hadash, Ta'al, and Balad. This statement came after reports confirmed an agreement among the three parties to run together in the upcoming elections. Abu Shehadeh told the Israeli-Arab news channel "Hala" that including Ra'am would better represent the Arab public in Israel.

He added that once the Joint List is officially established, a campaign will begin to achieve a significant electoral success for the Arab community. Regarding a request from Knesset member Walid Taha to sign a code of honor and surplus vote agreement, Abu Shehadeh said, "We are closer to you than Yoav Segalovich and closer than those people. We will seriously consider all options."

Additionally, Abu Shehadeh noted that the possibility of adding two more Arab parties, the Arab Democratic Party and "Mekom LeKulanu" (A Place for All of Us), is under consideration. According to the report, Hadash, Ta'al, and Balad have also reached agreements on candidate lists and the distribution of roles within the Joint List. Ta'al is set to lead the parliamentary faction for a full four-year term, hold the deputy Knesset speaker position, and have membership on the Finance Committee. The three parties are currently finalizing a shared political platform, with an official announcement of the alliance expected once agreements are complete.