Netanyahu's Likud Seeks to Bar Arab Parties from Israeli Elections

The Likud party announced Sunday evening its intention to file petitions to prevent the United List and the Arab List (Ra'am) from participating in the upcoming Israeli elections. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's party stated that there is no place in the Knesset for factions it claims undermine Israeli soldiers or refuse to designate Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist organizations.

In its statement, Likud also accused these parties of being potential political partners for figures like Gadi Eisenkot, Yair Golan, and Avigdor Lieberman. This move follows a similar initiative by the Otzma Yehudit party days earlier, which asked the Central Elections Committee to ban Ra'am and its chairman, MK Mansour Abbas, from running.

The Otzma Yehudit petition alleges that Ra'am questions Israel's existence as a Jewish state and supports the armed struggle of hostile entities. These accusations, according to the petition's authors, are based on a report concerning the humanitarian organization Aid 48, which Otzma Yehudit claims has direct ties to Ra'am and has transferred funds to terrorist entities.

Otzma Yehudit also cited alleged links between Ra'am, the southern branch of the Islamic Movement, and affiliated associations, as well as ideological proximity to the Muslim Brotherhood. The party further challenges the Supreme Court's current jurisprudence on barring candidates, arguing that criteria should be reassessed following the October 7, 2023, attack. The final decision on any potential exclusion will depend on Israel's electoral and legal procedures.