Mansour Abbas bets on Yoav Segalovich to make Ra'am acceptable to Israel's center – analysis

Ra'am chairman Mansour Abbas has appointed former senior police officer and Yesh Atid politician Yoav Segalovich as the second candidate on the party's electoral slate. This unprecedented move aims to enhance Ra'am's legitimacy for potential government partnerships and integrate the party into a future coalition. Segalovich, the first Jewish candidate in the second slot of Ra'am's list, will maintain voting independence on issues like religion and state, security, and LGBT rights, while focusing on advancing civilian service in Arab society. Abbas seeks to return to government, believing Segalovich's presence will make Ra'am more acceptable to centrist Zionist voters, particularly given Segalovich's work on the "Safe Track" program and combating crime in Arab society. The alliance, however, risks becoming a central campaign target for opponents like Benjamin Netanyahu, who may use it to portray any future government dependent on Ra'am as illegitimate.