Member of Knesset Yoav Segalovitz informed members of the Yesh Atid party on August 1 that he would not run with them in the upcoming October election. Segalovitz is planning to join Ra'am for the upcoming Knesset elections.

Segalovitz, 67, has been a member of the Yesh Atid party since 2016. He formerly headed the Israel Police’s Investigations and Intelligence Division. Segalovitz served as Deputy Minister of Internal Security in the Bennett-Lapid government. A special plan to combat crime in Arab communities was developed under Segalovitz’s leadership but was not continued by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

Data from the Abraham Initiatives shows that the number of Arab citizens killed in crimes decreased from 126 to 116 during Segalovitz’s only full year as Deputy Minister of Internal Security. Data from the Abraham Initiatives shows that the number of Arab citizens killed in crimes rose to 244 in the year following Segalovitz’s departure from government. Former Yesh Atid MK Inbar Bezek stated that Yoav Segalovitz is a respected and well-liked figure in Arab society, particularly among local government leaders.

The Israeli general election is scheduled for October 27, 2026. Israeli polls indicate that neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition nor the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot is projected to secure the 61 seats required to form a government. Opposition Jewish parties are polling at approximately 58 to 60 seats.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s political bloc is polling at roughly 50 seats. Recent polls project Ra’am will win between five and seven seats in the Knesset.

Why It Matters

This development occurs as Israeli polls indicate that neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition nor the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot is projected to secure the 61 seats required to form a government. With opposition Jewish parties polling at approximately 58 to 60 seats and Netanyahu’s bloc at roughly 50, the potential addition of a Jewish politician to an Arab-Israeli party slate could influence the arithmetic of coalition formation. Ra’am, which recent polls project will win between five and seven seats, holds a pivotal position in this fragmented landscape.

Segalovitz brings a background in security and internal affairs, having served as Deputy Minister of Internal Security and formerly heading the Israel Police’s Investigations and Intelligence Division. His tenure coincided with a decrease in violent crime deaths in Arab communities according to Abraham Initiatives data, a metric that rose significantly after his departure. His potential move shows cross-communal political engagement ahead of the October 27, 2026 general election.

Timeline

Ra’am was founded in 1996. On August 1, 2026, MK Yoav Segalovitz informed members of the Yesh Atid party that he would not run with them in the upcoming October election. On August 9, 2026, Mansour Abbas and Yoav Segalovitz described their discussion as “cordial and positive.” Also on August 9, 2026, Ra’am chairman Mansour Abbas and Yoav Segalovitz issued a statement confirming they held a discussion about Segalovitz joining Ra’am’s slate.

On that same day, Mansour Abbas and Yoav Segalovitz agreed to continue direct talks regarding Segalovitz joining Ra’am. The Israeli general election is scheduled for October 27, 2026.

What's New

Ra’am chairman Mansour Abbas and former Yesh Atid MK Yoav Segalovitz confirmed on Thursday that they are holding discussions regarding the Jewish politician’s potential membership in the Islamist party. In 2021, Mansour Abbas became the first Israeli of Arab-Muslim origin to join an Israeli governing coalition as minister. Ra’am is an Israeli-Arab political party.

The United Arab List is an Israeli-Arab political party. The United Arab List (Ra'am) has its main support base in the Bedouin communities of the Negev. PureSource News previously reported that Abbas issued a decree for legislative elections. Mansour Abbas is an Israeli dentist.