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Israel Supreme Court reinstates Arab parties for October elections
Israel’s Supreme Court has overturned a decision by the Central Elections Committee to disqualify two major Arab-majority political lists from the upcoming Knesset elections on October 27. The court ruled unanimously that the committee's arguments—which claimed the parties denied Israel's status as a Jewish and democratic state and supported armed struggle—did not meet the legal requirements for disqualification. The affected groups include the Raam party, led by Mansour Abbas, and the Joint List, an alliance of Hadash, Ta’al, and Balad.
In a separate development, Sami Abu Shehadeh, the leader of the Balad party, announced his withdrawal from the election race. This decision followed a hearing where the Supreme Court indicated that a majority of justices favored disqualifying his candidacy. Abu Shehadeh and his supporters have criticized the move, characterizing it as a political attempt to limit the representation of the Arab minority.
Additionally, the court voted 7-2 to reinstate Ofer Cassif, a Jewish member of the Knesset from the Hadash party, who had also faced disqualification attempts. With polls suggesting that neither Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition nor the main opposition is likely to secure an absolute majority, the participation of Arab parties could prove decisive in future government formation efforts.
Entities
Balad · Benjamin Netanyahu · Central Elections Committee · Israel Supreme Court · Itamar Ben-Gvir · Mansour Abbas · Ofer Cassif · Ra'am · Sami Abu Shehadeh · Supreme Court of Israel · Yitzhak Amit
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 8 SOURCES] The Central Elections Committee voted to disqualify the Ra’am and Joint List electoral lists. haitigazette.com · barbadosgazette.com · alfajertv.com · qudsnet.com · www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · +2 more
- [● 5 SOURCES] The committee moved to disqualify parliament member Ofer Cassif. haitigazette.com · barbadosgazette.com · alfajertv.com · qudsnet.com
- [● 8 SOURCES] Supreme Court President Yitzhak Amit indicated that a majority of judges favored disqualifying Sami Abu Shehadeh. haitigazette.com · barbadosgazette.com · alfajertv.com · qudsnet.com · bahamasspectator.com · +2 more
- [DISPUTED] The Supreme Court advised Balad party leader Sami Abu Shehadeh to withdraw from the October 27 Knesset election. haitigazette.com · barbadosgazette.com · alfajertv.com · qudsnet.com · bahamasspectator.com · +1 more
- [● 5 SOURCES] Abu Shehadeh has until Friday to withdraw his candidacy to avoid a formal disqualification ruling. haitigazette.com · barbadosgazette.com · alfajertv.com · qudsnet.com
- [● 5 SOURCES] The Otzma Yehudit party, led by Itamar Ben-Gvir, petitioned to disqualify Sami Abu Shehadeh. haitigazette.com · barbadosgazette.com · alfajertv.com · www.arabnews.pk
- [DISPUTED] Sami Abu Shehadeh withdrew his candidacy for the Knesset elections. qudsnet.com · bahamasspectator.com · www.sadanews.ps · www.arabnews.pk · www.cnnbrasil.com.br
- [● 8 SOURCES] The Supreme Court also overturned the disqualification of Jewish legislator Ofer Cassif. www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.kurierverlag.de · www.marler-zeitung.de · www.bbv-net.de · www.hellwegeranzeiger.de · +3 more
- [● 4 SOURCES] Sami Abu Shehadeh will remain the leader of the Balad party despite withdrawing his candidacy. bahamasspectator.com · www.sadanews.ps · www.arabnews.pk · www.cnnbrasil.com.br
- [● 4 SOURCES] The Raam party may play a decisive role in determining the parliamentary majority following the elections. abcnews.al · www.insider.gr · www.efsyn.gr · portalb.mk
- [● 2 SOURCES] The committee did not vote to ban the Otzma Yehudit party led by Itamar Ben-Gvir. abcnews.al · portalb.mk
- [● 4 SOURCES] The Central Election Committee previously voted 18 to 5 to exclude the Raam party and a joint list of Hadash, Taal, and Balad. abcnews.al · portalb.mk · www.insider.gr · www.efsyn.gr