Israel's Supreme Court Reinstates Cassif, Ra'am, and Joint List for Elections

Israel's Supreme Court on Friday overturned the Central Elections Committee's decision to disqualify Member of Knesset Ofer Cassif and the Ra'am and Joint List parties from participating in the upcoming 26th Knesset elections. The court ruled 7-2 that Cassif could run, while the appeals from Ra'am and the Joint List were unanimously accepted. The disqualification proceedings against Sami Abu Shehadeh were dropped after he withdrew his candidacy.

While the majority of judges acknowledged that Cassif's statements and actions were "outrageous" and "abhorrent," they determined that they did not meet the high legal threshold required to disqualify a candidate. Specifically, the court found insufficient evidence to prove the necessary "critical mass" for disqualification. Judges David Mintz and Alex Stein dissented, arguing that Cassif's words and deeds, including past statements, directly or indirectly supported armed struggle against Israel.

The court also unanimously canceled the disqualification of the Joint List, stating that the materials presented to the Elections Committee did not meet the criteria for disqualifying a list of candidates. Similarly, Ra'am's appeal was granted on the same grounds. Ra'am had been disqualified by the committee for allegedly undermining the state's Jewish and democratic character, inciting racism, and supporting armed struggle.