# Arab Israelis could decide Israel's election > A fifth of Israel's population prioritizes crime and daily needs over Palestinian statehood, reshaping the country's political future. - Title: Arab Israelis could decide Israel's election · Foreign Policy - Summary: A fifth of Israel's population prioritizes crime and daily needs over Palestinian statehood, reshaping the country's political future. Arab Israeli voters… - Keywords: israel, arab israelis, election 2026, mansour abbas, ra'am party, coalition government, crime violence, jewish state, democracy, yoav segalovitz, netanyahu, palestinian israelis - Source: Foreign Policy — https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/09/25/arab-israelis-election-palestine-netanyahu-abbas-jewish-state - Author: Anchal Vohra - Read time: 3 min - Topics: israel, arab israelis, election 2026, mansour abbas, ra'am party, coalition government, crime violence, jewish state, democracy, yoav segalovitz, netanyahu, palestinian israelis ## Arab Israelis want crime solved Seventy-four percent of Arab Israeli voters say their top election issue is ending street violence, not resolving the Israel-Palestine conflict. Only 7.6 percent prioritize Palestinian statehood. > You cannot solve all problems at once. ## They want real power in government Seventy-seven percent of Arab Israelis support including an Arab party in the next coalition government. They seek not just representation but actual decision-making authority. ## Mansour Abbas leads Ra'am party Ra'am leader Mansour Abbas positions his conservative Arab party as a coalition partner ready to tackle crime and improve Arab citizens' lives. He has distanced himself from Hamas and recognized Israel as a Jewish state. ## Crime kills Arabs at much higher rates Two hundred forty-one Arabs were murdered last year compared to forty-seven Jews, according to Israel's National Security Committee. Nearly two thousand Arab citizens have been killed over the past twenty years. > Over the past 20 years, nearly 2,000 citizens have been murdered as part of the phenomenon of crime and violence within Arab society. ## Arab Israelis face systemic disadvantages Arab citizens struggle to get building permits, live in cramped neighborhoods, and tens of thousands inhabit unrecognized villages. Arab schools are underfunded compared to Jewish schools with similar socio-economic profiles. ## Abbas studied dentistry, chose politics Born in the early nineteen seventies, Abbas studied at Hebrew University and joined the Islamic movement's electoral wing. He prioritized improving Arab citizens' lives from his early days in student politics. ## Ra'am joined government in twenty twenty-one Ra'am broke from the Joint List in twenty twenty-one and joined the Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett coalition that ousted Benjamin Netanyahu. The government lasted only eighteen months but gave Abbas a taste of power. ## Elections committee tried to disqualify Arabs Israel's Central Elections Committee voted to disqualify both Ra'am and the Joint List, citing alleged rejection of Israel as a Jewish state. The committee is mostly Netanyahu coalition members, but the Supreme Court is expected to reverse the decision. ## Abbas recruited a Jewish security expert To win Jewish voters' trust, Abbas invited Yoav Segalovitz, a former deputy security minister and top police officer, as Ra'am's second candidate. Segalovitz led a unit that cut homicides by sixteen percent and shootings by thirty percent in Arab communities. > I am not looking for someone who is like me. I am looking for someone who knows how to do the job. ## Crime spiked under Ben-Gvir After Itamar Ben-Gvir became security minister, crime spiked and Arab killings hit record levels. Segalovitz aims to restore the effectiveness he achieved before Ben-Gvir took office. ## Community service could build belonging Segalovitz proposes two years of civilian service for young Arabs, including hospital volunteering and elderly care. This could build a sense of belonging among Arab citizens while addressing Jewish concerns about military service exemptions. > Two years of civilian service are among the things that are supposed to provide an answer to this. ## Abbas and Segalovitz model new politics Their alliance places human security and well-being before religious or ideological allegiances. This partnership could demonstrate Israeli democracy's strength and potentially improve relations with Arab neighbors through economic cooperation. ## Eisenkot open to Ra'am coalition Gadi Eisenkot, leader of Yaashav and former army chief, is Netanyahu's toughest challenger. He hasn't ruled out including Ra'am if they recognize Israel as a Jewish and democratic country, which Abbas and Segalovitz have done. ## Neither camp expected to win outright No opposition camp is projected to secure the required sixty-one seats in the Knesset. Ra'am, expected to win four to five seats, could prove instrumental in forming the next government. ## Jewish parties reluctant to partner now None of the Jewish mainstream parties have eagerly embraced Ra'am before the election. They prefer to wait for results and only approach Ra'am if they absolutely need the votes. > There are parties that are afraid of partnership. They are afraid of what people will say, afraid of what they will lose. ## This election tests Israeli democracy Whether Arab Israelis are allowed to govern alongside Jewish parties will reveal the strength of Israeli democracy. Treating them as partners rather than fifth columnists is essential to the country's democratic future. > Instead of viewing them as fifth columnists, Israeli parties must see a coalition with Ra'am as a chance to demonstrate their commitment to democracy. ## Key takeaway Arab Israeli voters care most about ending street violence and improving schools and housing, not resolving the Israel-Palestine conflict, and they want a real seat at the governing table.