At the time, analysts saw the announcement as a tactical move to be placed higher on the list.

But since then, multiple polls have predicted six seats for Ta’al and six for the Joint List, which won 13 seats in the 2015 election.

Sources in Ta’al said the deal with Sallam could be significant, because the Hadash Party in the Joint List is not expected to have a representative from Nazareth. Tibi now intends to find a top Arab representative from the South.

“Ta’al will be the strongest Arab party, even though it is running against a list of three Arab parties running together,” a source close to Tibi said.

Yisrael Beytenu intends to appeal to the Central Elections Committee on Sunday against positive coverage the Joint List is receiving from Palestinian Authority media outlets aimed at Israeli Arab voters.

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“What else has to happen for it to be understood that Joint List MKs are a fifth column funded by the Palestinian Authority and acting in its name?” Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman asked on his Facebook page.

Ta’al is an acronym in Hebrew for Tnu’a Aravit LeHit’hadshut, the Arab Movement for Renewal.

The Ta’al Party of rebellious Joint List MK Dr. Ahmed Tibi received a boost over the weekend, when Tibi reached a deal with Nazareth Mayor Ali Sallam that a representative of his city would be placed high on the party’s list in the April 9 election. Tibi split from the Joint List of Arab parties on January 8 and announced that Ta’al would run on its own.