Election Committee Bars MK Ofer Cassif From Knesset Race

The Central Elections Committee has voted to disqualify Knesset Member Ofer Cassif from running in the upcoming 26th Knesset elections. The decision, made by a majority vote, came during deliberations on requests to remove candidates and slates from the ballot. Cassif, a member of the Knesset for the Hadash party, decried the ruling as "pre-determined" and lacking legal basis, attributing it to an "alliance of Netanyahu and Kahane's supporters." He vowed to continue fighting for his constituents and for "values of peace, equality, and genuine Jewish-Arab partnership."

The committee's sessions, which began on Wednesday and are scheduled to last two days, are addressing multiple disqualification requests. Among those targeted are the National Democratic Assembly party, the Joint List, and the United Arab List. The Likud party initiated the request to disqualify Cassif, while the Otzma Yehudit party filed a request against Sami Abu Shehadeh, head of the National Democratic Assembly.

Abu Shehadeh, participating remotely, stated he does not support Hamas's armed struggle against Israel and condemned the October 7th attacks. He clarified his previous statements, noting that if he had known the human cost, he would have phrased his writings differently. The committee is also reviewing a petition to disqualify the United Arab List, submitted by Otzma Yehudit and Likud among others. The sessions are expected to conclude with discussions on requests by Likud and the "Orot HaShachar" party to bar the Joint List and the National Democratic Assembly from the elections.