Is Israel’s Arab political camp moving toward renewed unity? After months of disputes, disagreements and uncertainty over the future of Arab representation in the Knesset, recent days have seen significant progress in talks to form a new joint slate between Ra’am, Hadash-Ta’al and Balad.
At the center of the political drama is Balad’s announcement, the first of its kind officially, that it is prepared to form a joint list as a “technical bloc” together with Ra’am, Hadash and Ta’al. Until recently, such a move was considered almost impossible because of the ideological gaps and lingering tensions between the parties.
Ra’am welcomed the announcement Thursday evening, saying it viewed it as “a serious and responsible step” that could advance the interests of Arab citizens.
In a statement, the party said it “positively views Balad’s response to the proposal we presented regarding the establishment of a pluralistic, technical Joint List,” adding that it also expects an official position from Hadash on the proposal.
Ra’am said attention is now focused on a joint meeting set to take place between all the parties, aimed at continuing the discussion on forming the slate “in a spirit of responsibility and cooperation.”
Ta’al officials also sounded optimistic. Party chairman MK Ahmad Tibi said that “for two weeks it has been clear that we are moving in this direction,” adding: “It will be decided soon. There has been progress in the talks. We all understand that this is a technical Joint List with agreement on a minimum platform.”
Tibi said public pressure has played a significant role in advancing the move.
“Some 90% of our public demands and pushes for a Joint List,” Tibi told ynet. “Voter turnout will be high with a Joint List. It is the best tool for changing the political reality here.”
Hadash, too, has signaled progress. In a statement issued after a meeting with the “agreement committee,” following the election of its new chairman, the party said there had been “serious progress” in contacts to establish a Joint List.
The meeting included Hadash’s new chairman, Dr. Yousef Jabareen, and candidate Dr. Nahaya Washahi. According to Hadash, the agreement committee presented a written initiative that includes practical mechanisms for establishing the Joint List and determining how it would operate, an initiative that received the blessing of Hadash representatives.
Despite the ideological disagreements between the parties, all sides are currently emphasizing that the proposed model is only a “technical partnership,” meaning a joint run meant to maximize political power and increase voter turnout, while preserving each party’s ideological and political independence.
The move comes amid concern among Arab parties over the continued decline in voter turnout in Arab society and the possibility that some parties may fail to cross the electoral threshold if they run separately. In the Arab political system, officials believe renewed unity could bring voters back to the polls and significantly strengthen Arab representation in the next Knesset.
Balad said in a statement that it “continues its efforts to establish the Joint List, as it committed to the public and as it signed in Sakhnin.”
“From the first moment, Balad acted to establish a shared political platform for the four parties that would make up the list, despite differences in worldview,” the party said.
“At this time, we have not succeeded in forming an agreed political platform, but Balad, which committed to doing everything out of deep responsibility toward Arab-Palestinian society and an understanding of the significance of this moment, declares that it is prepared to move toward establishing the Joint List as a technical bloc,” the statement continued.
“Balad has done and will continue to do everything to preserve unity in Arab-Palestinian society and faithfully serve its voters. The Joint List is the strongest formula for preventing the extremist fascist coalition from returning to power.”