Israel election surprise: Jewish Zionist wins seat with Arab Islamist party

Dubai: A Jewish former police officer and self-described Zionist is preparing to enter Israel’s parliament as a member of an Islamist Arab-led party, in an unusual political alliance that could challenge longstanding divisions as the country struggles to form a new government.

Yoav Segalovitz, 67, will take his seat in the Knesset on November 10 representing Ra’am, led by Mansour Abbas, after the party won eight seats in Tuesday’s election.

The former police investigator left a centrist Jewish-led party to join Ra’am, a conservative Islamist party, in a move that has drawn both praise and criticism.

“He’s Arab. I’m a Jew. I’m secular. He’s religious,” Segalovitz said of Abbas in an interview with The Associated Press.

“But we’re all citizens of Israel. We all take part in this society. If we want to get progress here, we must go in partnership together.”

Arab parties gain political leverage

The partnership comes at a crucial moment in Israeli politics after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc failed to secure a parliamentary majority.

Arab-led parties won a historic 19 seats in the 120-member Knesset, potentially giving them considerable influence over the formation of the next government.

Netanyahu’s allies secured 53 seats, while the main opposition bloc won 48, leaving neither side with the 61 seats required for a majority.

However, several Jewish-led opposition parties remain reluctant to form alliances with Arab parties, complicating efforts to replace Netanyahu.

Segalovitz and Abbas hope their partnership will demonstrate that political cooperation across religious and ethnic divisions is possible.

Who is a Zionist?

• A Zionist is someone who supports Zionism, a political and national movement that emerged in the late 19th century advocating the establishment of a Jewish homeland in historic Palestine.

• The movement led to the creation of Israel in 1948. Today, Zionism generally refers to support for Israel's existence as a Jewish state.

• Zionists hold differing political views, ranging from support for a two-state solution with Palestinians to advocacy of Israeli control over all the territory between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.

• Not all Jews are Zionists, and not all Zionists are Jewish. Some Christian groups also support Zionism.

Breaking political barriers

At Ra’am’s election-night celebration, Segalovitz was the only politician who did not address supporters in Arabic.

Instead, he declared in Hebrew, “Kulanu Yisraelim!” — meaning “We are all Israelis!” — drawing applause from the crowd.

Their alliance has nevertheless faced criticism from right-wing politicians, while some Arab political rivals have questioned whether it represents meaningful change.

Netanyahu and his allies have repeatedly warned against including Arab-led parties in a governing coalition.

His Likud party also sought to disqualify Ra’am from contesting the election.

Segalovitz rejected such political exclusion, warning that racism and incitement threaten Israeli society.

Ra’am seeks place in government

Abbas, who has previously participated in an Israeli governing coalition, is seeking another opportunity to bring his party into government.

Ra’am briefly joined a coalition in 2021, the first time an independent Arab party became part of an Israeli government. That administration lasted around 18 months.

Segalovitz said his policing experience could help address crime and violence affecting Arab communities, but his broader ambition was political inclusion.

“We can’t just ignore 21% of the population. Arabs in Israel take part in everything. Just in politics there are walls,” he said.

“We want to be part of the government and be responsible for what happens here in Israeli society.”

Abbas told supporters that the election demonstrated the possibility of cooperation between Jewish and Arab citizens.

“Hundreds of thousands of Arab and Jewish citizens went against the tide and proved that Arabs and Jews here can be partners and cooperate with each other,” he said.

Whether the unlikely alliance can translate its electoral success into a role in government will depend on difficult coalition negotiations expected to continue for weeks.