Israel's Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing for July 5 on the political parties registrar's request to block the registration of the "Jewish Israel" party. The case will be heard by an expanded panel of five justices, headed by Chief Justice Isaac Amit, with Deputy Chief Justice Noam Sohlberg and Justices David Mintz, Yal Vilner and Ofer Grosskopf.
The hearing comes after more than two years of correspondence and legal proceedings, during which two petitions were filed seeking a ruling on the party's registration. The dispute centers on whether the registrar can prevent a party from being registered before it has begun operating politically.
Among the party's members are Yehezkel Hasson, a former deputy CEO of Otzma Yehudit and a party spokesman and co-founder, Sarah Merzel, the wife of right-wing activist Baruch Merzel, and Rabbi Yehuda Epstein of Agudat Kedushat Zion. Hasson told Channel 7 that this is an unusual proceeding because the state is trying to stop a party from registering before it has even functioned.
He said the state is basing its request on alleged intentions of the founders rather than on any existing political activity. Hasson added that the case goes beyond one party and touches on core democratic principles, including freedom of association, freedom of political activity, and the limits of the registrar's authority. The party's founding documents say it was established to advance the Zionist project and bring it to completion. The July hearing is expected to decide whether the party can be officially registered and enter Israel's political system.
