Israel: Arab parties agree on joint slate ahead of elections

Balad will be given the second and fifth spot on the candidate slate, with Hadash taking the other slots

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MK Ahmad Tibi and MK Ayman Odeh, head of the Joint Arab List attend a Joint Arab List faction meeting, at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on May 30, 2022.
MK Ahmad Tibi and MK Ayman Odeh, head of the Joint Arab List attend a Joint Arab List faction meeting, at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on May 30, 2022.Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90

Hadash and Balad - two of Israel's major Arab political parties - signed an agreement Friday night in Nazareth, preparing for a joint run ahead of the November 1 general elections. 

According to the agreement, Balad - a left-wing party led by Sami Abu Shehadeh - will be given the second and fifth spot on the candidate slate, with Hadash - left-wing to far-left led by Ayman Odeh - taking the other spaces. 

The parties reportedly agreed on a political platform, noting that the joint slate would not recommend any candidate for the prime minister position, a common occurrence for the Arab parties. 

During the March 2020 elections, the Joint List recommended Benny Gantz, despite their reservations with the National Unity - then Blue and White - leader. This was the first time in 27 years the alliance submitted a recommendation. 

Later reports, however, noted that the parties did not shut out the possibility of recommending Gantz or possibly Prime Minister Yair Lapid, so long as the recommended party signs a written statement vowing to "end the occupation and establish a Palestinian state next to Israel."

The joint agreement also includes a commitment to "stay out of any coalition that promotes a policy of occupation and racism."

Ta'al - a center-left to left-wing party led by Ahmed Tibi - the third faction in the Joint List, was not a party to the agreement. The party announced that it would hold an urgent meeting to discuss the deal and decide whether to join the other two parties.

Members of Ta'al were furious at the agreement, according to reports, describing the meeting as a "stab in the back" from Balad. Members claim that there was an agreement that their party would be an equal partner in Balad-Hadash negotiations.

However, Balad and Hadash are more than likely to add Ta'al to the partnership, with sources within the two parties claiming that Ta'al will be offered a position such as faction chair. 

The deadline for parties to submit their intent to run in the upcoming parliament (Knesset) elections is September 15, giving them little time to reach such an agreement. 

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