Ra'am (United Arab List) has finalized its candidate list for the next Knesset following internal primaries, with Mansour Abbas in the lead. The slate places Walid Taha second, Walid al-Hawashla third, and Iman Khatib Yasin and Yasser Hujairat in the top five. The party's general convention also authorized Chairman Abbas to make changes and add reserved candidates, a move that paves the way for the possible addition of former MK Yoav Segalovich, who would become the first Jewish member of the Islamist party.
Ra'am (United Arab List) has formally selected its slate for the next Knesset after internal primaries on Saturday. The party's general convention voted on the top five positions: party chairman Mansour Abbas leads the list, followed by Walid Taha in the second slot and Walid al-Hawashla in third. Iman Khatib Yasin and Yasser Hujairat round out the top five.
In a significant move, the convention authorized Abbas to make changes to the list and add reserved candidates. This sets the stage for the expected addition of former MK Yoav Segalovich, who would become the first Jewish member of the Arab Islamist party. The authorization allows Abbas flexibility to negotiate with Segalovich without requiring another convention vote.
The development follows months of reported talks between Abbas and Segalovich, which have been widely covered by Israeli media. As The Zioneer has reported, Abbas has described Ra'am as an independent party disconnected from the Islamic Movement's Shura Council, and has expressed a goal of replacing the current right-wing coalition. The addition of Segalovich, a veteran lawmaker from the center-left, would bolster Ra'am's parliamentary representation and could potentially give the party a seat on the Security Cabinet, as reported in earlier discussions.
The party's list is now set pending any changes under the authorization. The elections are expected later this year.
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