A potential political realignment may be taking shape in Israel, with Yoav Segalovitz, a Jewish member of Knesset from the Yesh Atid party, reportedly considering a move to join the Arab Islamist Ra'am party, led by Mansour Abbas, in a realistic electoral position for the next election.
Segalovitz, currently on vacation in Thailand, is expected to return to Israel next week to meet with Abbas and discuss the terms of such a move. Abbas is simultaneously conducting polling among Arab and Jewish voters to gauge how Segalovitz's potential candidacy might affect Ra'am's electoral performance.
Abbas apparently views the initiative as part of a strategy to expand the party's appeal to Jewish voters and candidates, rather than as a narrowly tactical election maneuver.
Segalovitz, 67, formerly headed the Israel Police Investigations Division and conducted several high-profile corruption investigations before entering politics with Yesh Atid. He served as deputy minister of public security in the Bennett-Lapid government, where he oversaw a program to combat crime in Israel's Arab communities. That program ended when the current government took office.
According to the report, Segalovitz's decision hinges on Ra'am taking several steps, including formally adopting positions Abbas has championed in recent years - full integration into Israeli society, support for national civilian service, and acceptance of Israel's Declaration of Independence. The party's institutions would also need to approve reserving a senior slot for Segalovitz on its electoral list.
Such a development would represent an unusual political move ahead of Israel's next election. Abbas and Segalovitz reportedly built a close working relationship during their time in the Knesset, and Abbas views him as a potential future national security minister.
The move could reshape coalition calculations. Most Knesset parties currently do not regard Ra'am as a viable government partner, but many would find it difficult to reject cooperation if Ra'am accepts Segalovitz's conditions and incorporates him into its Knesset delegation.