A new report claims that Yesh Atid MK Yoav Segalovitz is preparing to leave his party and join Mansour Abbas’s Islamist Ra’am faction, a move that could reshape the party’s image and broaden its appeal ahead of Israel’s next Knesset elections.

According to the report, Segalovitz has been weighing a political alliance with Ra’am and is expected to run on the party’s slate in the upcoming national vote.

Ynet reported that Segalovitz is currently vacationing in Thailand and is due back in Israel next week.

Upon his return, he is expected to sit down with Abbas to finalize the terms of his entry into the party and complete the remaining details of the political agreement.

Polling conducted on behalf of Ra’am reportedly found that Segalovitz is the only Jewish politician who commands broad confidence among Arab voters. Party officials believe his addition could significantly strengthen Ra’am’s standing and expand its electoral support.

According to the report, Abbas has been working for some time to persuade Segalovitz to join the party, believing that the inclusion of a well-known Jewish lawmaker would help counter criticism from right-wing politicians and activists who have long targeted the faction.

The report also says Abbas is weighing a rebranding effort that would include changing the party’s name to one that would be more appealing and accessible to Jewish voters.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir blasted the reported move, saying: “The truth has finally come out. For years, I said that Segalovitz paid money to crime families and strengthened them, and today there is proof: he is joining Mansour Abbas on a joint list that will greatly please the crime gangs. We took away the money that Segalovitz and Bennett transferred to crime families under the Muslim Brotherhood government. Now Segalovitz and Mansour, in a joint comeback, want to give it back to them.”