Hadash official says factions want to announce unified slate within two weeks; Balad MK says parties yet to iron out seat distribution

Hadash, Ta'al, Ra'am, and Balad reportedly looking at re-forming the Joint List in an effort to win back seats lost in April vote

Basel Ghattas exits Gilboa Prison after completing sentence given as part of plea bargain for using position to smuggle phones and notes to Palestinian security inmates

Israel Democracy Institute's Arik Rudnitzky says nation-state law led many Arabs to stay away, also cites collapse of Joint List; others have pointed to Likud cameras as deterrent