A report indicates that Yesh Atid MK Yoav Segalovitz is preparing to defect to Ra'am, the Islamist faction led by Mansour Abbas, and is expected to run on the party's slate in the next Knesset elections.
According to the account, Segalovitz has been considering a political alliance with Ra'am. Ynet reported that he is currently vacationing in Thailand and will return to Israel next week, at which point he is expected to meet with Abbas to finalize terms and complete details of the political agreement.
Polling commissioned by Ra'am found that Segalovitz is the only Jewish politician who commands broad confidence among Arab voters. Party officials believe his addition could significantly strengthen Ra'am's standing and expand its electoral support.
The report states that Abbas has been working to persuade Segalovitz to join, viewing the inclusion of a well-known Jewish lawmaker as a way to counter criticism from right-wing politicians and activists. Abbas is also reportedly weighing a rebranding effort that would include changing the party's name to appeal more broadly to Jewish voters.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir responded to the reported move, stating: "The truth has finally come out. For years, I said that Segalovitz paid money to crime families and strengthened them, and today there is proof: he is joining Mansour Abbas on a joint list that will greatly please the crime gangs. We took away the money that Segalovitz and Bennett transferred to crime families under the Muslim Brotherhood government. Now Segalovitz and Mansour, in a joint comeback, want to give it back to them."