[87398] Sami Abu Shehadeh: Ra'am is responsible for the failure to establish the Joint Arab List

Tension in the Arab political system: Balad attacks Ra'am

The Arab political system in Israel is experiencing another upheaval this morning (17.06.2026), as the chairman of the Balad party, Sami Abu Shehadeh, placed full responsibility for the failure of negotiations to establish a joint Arab list on the Ra'am party.

In reports that appeared on the Telegram channels Abu Ali Express (which takes a critical stance toward these parties and political Islam) and Hadashot 360 | All The News, it is claimed that Abu Shehadeh stated that Balad showed "flexibility and agreed to compromises regarding the technical list" during the negotiations held between the four parties.

According to the report by Abu Ali Express, the Balad chairman emphasizes that his party is willing to continue making concessions to bring about the establishment of a joint list, even if the structure is reduced to just three parties. Hadashot 360 reinforces these points and notes that Abu Shehadeh views Ra'am as the sole obstacle in the current format.

As of this time, an official response has not yet been received from the Ra'am party to Abu Shehadeh's accusations, which signals the continued split in the Arab camp and could significantly affect the balance of power in the political system in the upcoming elections.