Arab Parties Form Small Joint List Amid Political Tensions Ahead of Israeli Elections
Ahead of the upcoming Israeli elections, the Arab parties have formed a small joint list, despite initial resistance from the Change Bloc, which opposed a unified Arab list fearing it would increase Arab voter turnout and yield up to 15 Knesset seats. A senior official explained that the additional five seats would come at the expense of the bloc and Prime Minister Netanyahu, potentially reducing their seats from 60 to 57 and diminishing the chances of forming an alternative government.
Mansour Abbas, leader of the Ra'am party, did not join the newly announced union, reflecting ongoing internal conflicts and complex Israeli Arab political dynamics. The new alliance includes Hadash, Ta'al, and Balad, a nationalist and extreme party founded by Azmi Bishara, currently residing in Qatar. Balad, which previously lost about 1.4% of the Arab vote by falling below the electoral threshold, is now running with more mainstream parties, though sources suggest this cooperation is not driven by a desire for Jewish-Arab partnership but rather as a strategic move.
From the Likud perspective, the inclusion of Balad is seen as beneficial because their extremism could reduce the likelihood of Arab parties supporting a government, thus playing into Netanyahu's hands. Meanwhile, the Change Bloc has sent urgent messages urging Mansour Abbas not to run, but Abbas remains unimpressed. The divide between Ra'am, which supports national service, and other Arab parties is widening, potentially serving the bloc if a "Zionist majority" government fails to form.
Additionally, Yoav Segalovich, a staunch Zionist, might join Ra'am and enter the Knesset on its list, softening Ra'am's image. The anti-Netanyahu bloc remains confident, with Gadi Eisenkot and Naftali Bennett gaining in polls and the bloc potentially reaching 60 or more seats, especially if Ofer Winter pushes Bezalel Smotrich below the threshold. Netanyahu is reportedly concerned about Winter, suspecting he may ally with Avigdor Lieberman or Bennett post-election. The prime minister's team is debating whether to target Winter with negative media campaigns or avoid boosting his profile. A decision on this strategy is expected soon and will be visible on relevant TV channels.
