Israel’s election committee voted to bar the two main Arab-majority lists, the Joint List and Ra’am, and Hadash’s Ofer Cassif and Balad’s Sami Abu Shehadeh from the October 27 election. The vote is not final; the Supreme Court is expected to review it next week.
Likud and Otzma Yehudit petitioned to disqualify them, alleging they denied Israel’s existence as a Jewish and democratic state, supported armed struggle or incited racism. The committee voted 18–5 against each list and Cassif, and 31–4 against Abu Shehadeh, according to Adalah, the legal group representing them. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara opposed excluding the lists and Cassif, saying evidence did not meet the legal threshold, but said Abu Shehadeh’s article could amount to support for armed struggle. The court has overturned earlier attempts to exclude Arab parties and candidates, but that is no guarantee this time.
Abu Shehadeh rejects the reading of his October 8, 2023 article, saying he opposes armed struggle and supports political and civil struggle for peace, justice and equality; Adalah says it contains no call for violence. The committee rejected petitions against far-right parties Otzma Yehudit and Religious Zionism; their leaders, ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, face international sanctions over actions and rhetoric towards Palestinians. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains eligible despite an International Criminal Court arrest warrant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza and a corruption trial underway since 2020; he denies the allegations.
