Balad Chairman Sami Abu Shahadeh Criticizes Ra'am Leader Mansour Abbas, Open to Cooperation with Gantz

Ahead of the upcoming Israeli elections, Balad chairman Sami Abu Shahadeh announced that Balad, Hadash, and Ta'al will run together in a joint list led by Hadash's Yosef Jabareen, excluding Ra'am. Abu Shahadeh criticized Ra'am leader Mansour Abbas for his unpredictable stance, saying Abbas made a mistake by preventing the joint list from forming earlier, which delayed efforts to increase Arab voter turnout. He described Abbas as "unpredictable" and said the united list should have been finalized a year ago.

Abu Shahadeh projected that the joint list would secure at least 10 Knesset seats, with Arab voter turnout expected between 65% and 70%. He emphasized that the alliance is based on a clear agenda and past cooperation, aiming to be the most serious democratic alternative in Israeli politics for the Arab community.

Regarding potential cooperation with candidates for prime minister, Abu Shahadeh did not rule out supporting Benny Gantz, stating, "Whoever respects us, we will respect." However, he stressed that Balad will not serve as a "tool" for any candidate, including Gantz or Netanyahu, and outlined conditions for support, such as ending the occupation and repealing the Nation-State Law. He criticized the Israeli society's shift to the far right and said Arab voters did not support the current coalition.

Abu Shahadeh also addressed criticism about the low number of women on the joint list, acknowledging the issue and expressing a desire for greater female representation. He dismissed the chances of the recently formed Jewish-Arab "Standing Together" party, which includes former Knesset Speaker Avraham Burg, running in the elections, calling them responsible but insufficiently prepared.

The joint list will be headed by Yosef Jabareen, followed by Ta'al leader Ahmad Tibi and Balad's Abu Shahadeh in third place. The alliance excludes Ra'am, whose leader Mansour Abbas remains outside the coalition, a point of contention for Abu Shahadeh.