Full Breakdown
Yoav Segalovitz Becomes First Jewish Candidate on Arab Party Ra’am Slate Ahead of Israel’s October 27 Election
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Segalovitz Joins Ra’am for the October 27 Vote
Former Yesh Atid lawmaker and retired senior police officer Yoav Segalovitz announced that he will run on the list of Ra’am, an explicitly Arab Islamist party, making him the first Jewish candidate ever to appear on that slate. The move comes as Israel prepares for its general election scheduled for October 27.
Background & Context
Ra’am entered Israel’s governing coalition in 2021-2022, becoming the first Arab party to do so. By contrast, the three other Arab parties—Hadash, Ta’al and Balad—plan to run together on a joint slate that is expected to remain in opposition; Hadash, a communist-leaning party, has historically fielded Jewish candidates but does not label itself an Arab party.
Segalovitz served in the Knesset with Yesh Atid from 2020 and was deputy minister for public security in the 2021-2022 government. In that role he oversaw efforts to curb violent crime in Arab-Israeli communities, including the creation of Lahav 433, an elite anti-corruption and organized-crime unit often likened to the FBI. Those initiatives contributed to a modest decline in homicides in 2021, reversing a rise that had persisted since 2014. The program was later discontinued by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, after which murders in Arab communities rose sharply.
Data & Statistics
- The Abraham Initiatives watchdog recorded 172 Arab murder victims in the current year, a level the candidate described as “catastrophic.”
- Polls project Ra’am will secure four to six of the 120 Knesset seats, a count that could still give the party kingmaker leverage in coalition negotiations.
Official Statements & Responses
Segalovitz framed his candidacy as a bridge-building effort. He said the country should “resemble a hospital” where Jews, Arabs, Muslims, Druze and Christians coexist without identity-based barriers. While acknowledging personal differences on civil marriage and LGBTQ rights, he emphasized that his focus will be on integration and security.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who leads the most right-wing government in Israel’s history, has repeatedly accused Abbas of representing the Muslim Brotherhood; Abbas has denied the allegation. Netanyahu’s main rival for the premiership, Gadi Eisenkot, has also clashed publicly with Abbas over the issue of a Palestinian state.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The state of personal security in Arab society is a catastrophe. Our statistics are on a par with the worst countries in South America,” — Yoav Segalovitz
- “The other Arab parties don’t say that. They oppose it,” — Yoav Segalovitz
What’s Next
The election on October 27 will determine whether Ra’am’s modest seat gain translates into coalition influence and whether Segalovitz’s cross-community appeal can attract voters beyond traditional party lines. The outcome could reshape how Israeli parties approach Arab-Jewish collaboration in future electoral cycles.
