Israel’s Central Elections Committee voted Wednesday to bar Arab-majority parties and two candidates from next month’s election, a move that could affect the balance of a closely contested vote but remains subject to Supreme Court review.
Israel’s Central Elections Committee voted Wednesday to disqualify the United Arab List, or Ra’am, from contesting the Oct. 27 election following a request from members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition.
The decision is not final and must be reviewed by Israel’s Supreme Court, which has overturned most similar disqualifications in previous elections.
Ra’am made history in 2021 when it joined a governing coalition that ousted Netanyahu from power, becoming the first independent Arab party to participate in an Israeli government coalition.
The party recently took the unprecedented step of recruiting Jewish candidate Yoav Segalovitz, who served in the 2021-2022 government and was credited with efforts to improve security in Arab communities.
Palestinian citizens of Israel, largely descendants of Palestinians who remained following the establishment of Israel in 1948, account for about 20% of the population. Until 2021, Arab parties had remained outside governing coalitions.
The Central Elections Committee, whose composition reflects the balance of political parties in the Knesset, also voted to disqualify lawmaker Ofer Cassif and Sami Abu Shehadeh, leader of the Palestinian Balad party and a former Knesset member.
The committee said its decision against Abu Shehadeh was based on allegations that he denied Israel’s existence as a Jewish and democratic state and supported armed struggle by an enemy state or terrorist organization against Israel.
The request to disqualify Abu Shehadeh was submitted by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, notoriously known for his radical views against Palestinians.
Abu Shehadeh rejected the decision and vowed to continue his political campaign.
“This development will not scare us,” he said. “Racists are afraid of equality, and Ben Gvir and Netanyahu are afraid of the Arab vote in this electoral battle.”
Adalah, a legal rights group representing Israel’s Arab minority as well as Cassif and Abu Shehadeh, said there was “no legal basis” for their disqualification.
Israel is scheduled to hold its general election Oct. 27, with Netanyahu seeking to remain in power amid a closely contested race.
The Supreme Court has overturned most previous attempts by the election committee to disqualify candidates. In 2019, however, it barred far-right candidate Michael Ben-Ari from running, overturning the committee’s decision to allow his candidacy.
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