Israel's Supreme Court Reinstates Arab Parties for Knesset Elections
Translated & summarized from Channel 9 by baba
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Supreme Court reinstated two Arab political lists for Knesset elections.
- Court also allowed MK Ofer Cassif to run.
- Balad party head Sami Abu Shehadeh withdrew his candidacy.
- CEC had previously disqualified the lists and Cassif.
- Decision came ahead of the October 27 elections.
Israel's Supreme Court has overturned decisions by the Central Election Committee (CEC) to disqualify two Arab political lists, the Joint List and Ra'am, from participating in the upcoming Knesset elections scheduled for October 27. The court also ruled that Member of Knesset Ofer Cassif can run in the elections.
The Supreme Court's decision regarding the Joint List and Ra'am was unanimous. The judges determined that the grounds presented for their disqualification were insufficient for such a severe measure. Previously, the CEC had voted to ban these lists, with 18 members supporting the prohibition of the Joint List against five, and Ra'am also being disqualified by a majority vote.
Separately, the Supreme Court reviewed the case of Ofer Cassif, a MK from Hadash. Seven judges voted to overturn the CEC's decision to disqualify him, while two dissented. Court President Yitzhak Amit stated that while the judges view some of Cassif's statements and actions negatively, they did not meet the strict legal criteria for barring a candidate from running.
The situation for Sami Abu Shehadeh, head of the Balad party, differed. The court indicated that a majority of nine judges leaned towards upholding the ban on his candidacy. Consequently, Abu Shehadeh agreed to withdraw his candidacy, making a final court ruling unnecessary. The basis for the disqualification request against Abu Shehadeh included an article he published the day after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara suggested the text could be interpreted as support for armed struggle against Israel, a claim Abu Shehadeh denied, stating he does not support violence or terrorism.
Following the Supreme Court's decision, Avigdor Lieberman, head of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, called for the Balad party to be outlawed. He asserted that as long as Abu Shehadeh leads Balad and its representatives are in the Knesset, a terrorist organization is represented in the Israeli parliament.
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