Palestinian parties in Israel revive Joint List ahead of elections to fight ‘fascist and racist’ threats
Yousef Jabareen, Leader of the new Joint List
Naif Zaidani reports in The New Arab on 20 August 2026:
Three Palestinian parties inside Israel have formally launched a joint electoral list ahead of the 27 October Knesset election, reviving a unity formula they hope will strengthen Palestinian representation.
The Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash), the National Democratic Assembly (Balad) and the Arab Movement for Change (Ta’al) announced the three-party Joint List late on Wednesday.
The alliance was announced amid what the parties described as difficult circumstances and pressing challenges facing the Palestinian community inside Israel, which they said required them to put aside their differences and unite.
The Joint List will face several challenges, including rebuilding public confidence, confronting the Israel “propaganda machine”, and setting out a clear programme addressing the needs and concerns of the Palestinian community.
In a joint statement, the three parties said the alliance had broad public support and was formed in recognition of the “fascist and racist” threats targeting their existence, rights and causes.
They said confronting those threats required the broadest possible political and electoral unity.
The parties said their aim was to turn their collective electoral weight into stronger representation in the Knesset, defend Palestinian rights and transform the will of their supporters into a political force capable of removing what they described as a “fascist right-wing government” whose project was based on “discrimination, war, aggression, demolition and crime”.
“Our unity is our strongest weapon,” the Joint List said, adding that unity was essential to securing collective national and civil rights, continuing the struggle for change and a just peace, and ending the occupation.
The parties called on Palestinians to close ranks, rally around the Joint List and mobilise for the electoral battle.
The list will be headed by Professor Yousef Jabareen of Hadash, followed by Arab Movement for Change leader Ahmad Tibi and Balad chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh.