The leader of the Israeli Arab Ra'am party, Mansour Abbas, to the right of Yoav Segalovich, during a joint press conference in Nazareth on Aug. 31, 2026. (Credit: Jalaa Marey/AFP)

In Israel, Arab party Ra'am breaks taboo, names Zionist second-in-command candidate

Mansour Abbas is capitalizing on the divide between secular and Haredi parties, positioning himself as a potential partner.

02 Sep 2026, 07:43 by Laure-Maïssa FARJALLAH · L'Orient Today

Mansour Abbas aims to disrupt the status quo in Israel. His party, Ra'am, had already set a precedent by joining Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid's rotating government coalition from 2021 to 2022. Ahead of the next parliamentary elections (scheduled for Oct. 27), the party is breaking another barrier by placing a Zionist Jewish candidate as its second-in-command. That candidate is Yoav Segalovich, former Israeli deputy minister of public security and a member of the centrist Yesh Atid party. The announcement comes just days after the formation of the Amsha Yisrael list, a right-wing party whose number two is an Israeli Arab influencer close to the right. Meanwhile... Christian schools in Jerusalem suspend classes after Israel refuses to renew entry permits for staff The decision, announced on Aug. 31, could once again make...

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