Ra'am chairman Mansour Abbas is placing former senior police officer and longtime Yesh Atid politician Yoav Segalovich second on the party's electoral slate in an effort to broaden the legitimacy of partnering with Ra'am and bring the party closer to a future government, while risking turning the unusual alliance into a central campaign weapon against him.
If Abbas were simply looking for another star name for his slate, Segalovich would probably not have been his first choice. He has no political camp of his own, no network of vote contractors, and he is not bringing with him the remnants of a disbanded party. But that is not what Abbas wants from him.
Segalovich is meant to help him solve a problem far more difficult than gaining another Knesset seat: legitimacy.
Segalovich will be No. 2 on the Ra'am slate, the first Jewish candidate ever placed second on its list. He will not join the party itself, will have freedom to vote independently on matters of religion and state, security, and LGBT rights, and will seek to advance civilian service in Arab society.
The arrangement leaves both men enough breathing room and a reasonable degree of political maneuverability.
