Arab Hadash-Ta’al, Ra’am parties sign agreement to reduce risk of lost votes

Hadash-Ta'al and Ra'am signed an agreement on Friday to reduce the risk of wasted votes in Israel's upcoming 26th Knesset elections. The deal aims to enhance their bargaining position in the allocation of surplus mandates and safeguard Arab votes. This marks a significant development as the two parties, previously running independently in the previous election, are now united under the Joint List, with Ra'am running separately.

The agreement is expected to maximize the impact of Arab voters' influence in the seat distribution process. It comes as polls suggest Arab voters hold significant electoral power, potentially securing up to 15 seats. According to the Joint List, the agreement is a clear message to the public that their vote can shape the entire election campaign and prevent another government led by Netanyahu, Ben-Gvir, and Smotrich.

Under the agreement, Hadash-Ta'al and Ra'am committed to maintaining a "fair and clean election campaign," refraining from slander, defamation, incitement, or falsification. They also called on their supporters to engage in respectful discourse, even amidst political disagreements. The parties are expected to submit the agreement to the Central Elections Committee after gaining approval.

The move follows Hadash-Ta'al and Balad running separately in the previous election, lacking an agreement on surplus votes. In the current election, both parties have united under the Joint List, with Balad remaining a part of it, while Ra'am continues independently. A recent Maariv poll predicts the Joint List will secure seven seats and Ra'am five, resulting in a combined total of 12 seats for the two Arab parties.

An excess votes agreement does not guarantee all votes will be preserved, but it increases the likelihood that one of the two parties will gain an additional seat under the Bader-Ofer method.