Jerusalem, 12 November, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Leaders of the United Arab List (Ra’am) and the Joint List are maintaining regular contact with senior United Torah Judaism (UTJ) figures, updating one another on negotiations with the opposition’s proposed change bloc, Israeli media reported Thursday.
In one conversation with UTJ leaders, Ra’am chairman Mansour Abbas reportedly recommended opening talks with the opposition bloc on legislation governing Haredi military exemptions. He argued that an agreement could gain legitimacy across political camps while positioning the parties as potential kingmakers.
UTJ MK Yaakov Asher has also spoken several times in recent days with Abbas and Joint List MK Ahmad Tibi. Asher’s office said the conversations were merely social and unrelated to political negotiations.
The Haredi and Arab parties cooperated in the past on legislative issues, including efforts to freeze the Kaminitz Law on building permits in 2020, and Ra’am’s withdrawal of support for a committee on IDF religious exemptions in 2021.
