Former lawmaker Segalovitz becomes number two on RAAM’s list in Israeli election
In Israel, former centrist lawmaker and former Deputy Minister of National Security Yoav Segalovitz became number two on the electoral list of the moderate Islamist party RAAM ahead of the parliamentary elections on October 27, 2026. His decision to run on the list of an Arab party was criticized by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, France 24 English reports.
Segalovitz served as Deputy Minister of National Security in 2021–2022. Israeli media called him a “supercop” due to his many years of work combating organized crime and corruption. He said that he and RAAM leader Mansour Abbas are united by a shared Israeli identity, despite differences in origin, religion and political views.
Organized crime
During the presentation of the candidate on August 31, Abbas said he was not looking for someone like himself, but for someone who knows how to do the job. Denis Charbit, a professor of political science at the Open University of Israel, explained that the main problem for the country’s Arab-Palestinian society is organized crime in Arab communities.
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According to data cited in the report, 166 people were killed in Arab communities from January through August 2026, while the number of deaths exceeded 200 last year. Speaking to AFP, Segalovitz called the personal security situation in Arab society catastrophic and said that under such conditions, the development of the economy, education and culture is impossible.
Coalition negotiations
The main opposition leaders to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the announcement by Abbas and Segalovitz. A Channel 13 poll from September 2 showed that the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot and Netanyahu’s bloc with ultraright allies each had 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset. The two Arab parties together received 14 mandates in the poll.
Ben-Gvir called the joint list a “joint conspiracy of the left” aimed at forming a future government with the participation of the “Muslim Brotherhood.” In a post on X, he also published an edited image of Abbas and Segalovitz shaking hands, with keffiyehs and Hamas flags added to it.
