Who is Yoav Segalovitz? Why ex-Jewish policeman joining Israel’s Islamist Ra’am party could reshape its political divide | Today’s news
A former Jewish policeman and self-described Zionist has joined an Arab-led Islamist party, an unusual political move in Israel. But Yoav Segalovitz’s decision to join Ra’am has drawn attention outside the party itself, raising questions about whether Jewish and Arab parties can work together to form the country’s next government.
According to an Associated Press report, Segalovitz will enter the Knesset as a member of Ra’am, which won eight seats in the election. His move is part of an alliance with party leader Mansour Abbas, who believes Jewish and Arab citizens can work together despite their differences.
“He’s Arab. I’m Jewish. I’m secular. He’s religious,” Segalovitz told The Associated Press before the election. “But we are all citizens of Israel. We all participate in this society. If we want to make progress here, we have to go in partnership together.”
Who is Yoav Segalovitz?
Segalovitz is a former Jewish policeman and self-proclaimed Zionist who left the Jewish-led centrist party to join Ra’am, an Arab-led conservative Islamist party.
His move stands out in Israel, where political divisions often follow religious and ethnic lines.
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At Tuesday’s Ra’am celebration, Segalovitz was the only politician who did not address his supporters in Arabic. Instead he declared, “Kulan Yisraeli!” — Hebrew “We are all Israelis,” AP reported.
Why did his move attract criticism?
The partnership has faced criticism from the Israeli right as well as parts of the Arab political spectrum.
Right-wing critics accused Segalovitz of betraying Israel and warned that Ra’am’s influence could open the door to Islamic law. Some members of the more leftist Arab-led Joint List, meanwhile, dismissed the alliance as a political branding exercise aimed at making Ra’am more acceptable to mainstream parties rather than addressing issues facing Arab communities.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies have also repeatedly attacked Ra’am. Netanyahu’s Likud party was among those seeking to disqualify her from running in the election.
During the campaign, Netanyahu warned that his main rival, former military commander Gadi Eisenkot, could team up with Abbas to secure a parliamentary majority. His party also circulated baseless claims that the election was “stolen” by Arab-led parties, which denied the allegations.
Segalovitz responded to the attacks in a post on X on Thursday, saying that “incitement, racism and exclusion” are among the biggest threats to Israel’s strength and resilience, the AP reported.
Can Arab-led parties form Israel’s next government?
The alliance comes at a crucial moment. The Arab-led parties won a combined 19 seats in the 120-member Knesset, giving them the potential to influence the formation of the next government.
However, their role will depend on whether the Jewish-led opposition parties are willing to cooperate with them. So far, several have been reluctant to form a coalition with Arab-led parties to remove Netanyahu from power.
Only once did an Arab party join the Israeli governing coalition. In 2021, Ra’am became part of a coalition government that lasted approximately 18 months.
Eisenkot set conditions for cooperation with the Arab-led parties, including that they recognize Israel as a Jewish and democratic state and declare Hamas a terrorist organization that must be dismantled.
Abbas recognized Israel as a Jewish state and repeatedly condemned the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas.
But he rejected formal designation of Hamas as a terrorist organization, calling such demands a political trap and a test of loyalty by extremists, the AP reported.
