Israel’s Supreme Court overturns ban on Arab parties ahead of election

Israel’s Supreme Court ruled Friday that four Arab parties may compete in the country’s October 27 parliamentary election, overturning disqualifications imposed by the Central Elections Committee.

The court unanimously allowed the United Arab List, known as Ra’am, and the Joint List — comprising Hadash, Balad and Ta’al — to remain on the ballot. It also overturned the committee’s decision to bar Hadash lawmaker Ofer Cassif, although two of the nine judges opposed that ruling, according to Haaretz.

Balad leader Sami Abu Shehadeh withdrew from the election after the court indicated it would uphold the ban on his individual candidacy. The dispute centered on an article he wrote one day after the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack, describing it as “an important historical event.” Abu Shehadeh told the court he regretted the article and condemned the attack, according to the Times of Israel.

Israel’s basic law permits parties and candidates to be barred for rejecting Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, inciting racism, or supporting armed struggle against the country by a hostile state or terrorist organization. The Central Elections Committee had voted in late September to disqualify the parties and several candidates.