Election Committee Disqualifies Joint List from Knesset Race

The Central Elections Committee, headed by Justice Noam Sohlberg, has disqualified the Joint List from competing in the upcoming 26th Knesset elections. The decision, made on Wednesday, followed a request by the Likud party and passed with a vote of 18 in favor, five against, and one abstention. The grounds for disqualification cited were the party's alleged denial of Israel's existence as a Jewish and democratic state, and support for armed struggle by an enemy state or terror organization against Israel, as per Section 7A(a)(1) of the Knesset Basic Law.

This ruling came shortly after the committee also disqualified the Ra'am party from the elections. Additionally, the candidacy of Sami Abu Shehadeh, a member of the Joint List, was individually disqualified due to statements made after the October 7th Hamas attack. Justice Sohlberg, in an unusual move, participated in the vote on Abu Shehadeh, stating that the candidate's words were deeply concerning and influenced his decision.

The committee also rejected a separate request to disqualify the Balad party, citing procedural issues with the application. The full details and reasoning behind the disqualification of the Joint List are expected to be published on the committee's website, and the decision will be forwarded to the Supreme Court for review.

Discussions regarding other disqualification requests are scheduled to resume on Thursday at 9:00 AM.