Israel’s Central Elections Committee has voted to disqualify the two main Arab-majority political lists from the parliamentary election scheduled for October 27. This decision may leave Palestinian citizens of Israel without their primary representatives in the Knesset. The committee also disqualified Ofer Cassif, a Jewish politician from the Arab-Jewish Hadash party, and Sami Abu Shehadeh, the leader of the Palestinian nationalist Balad party. The Supreme Court is expected to review these decisions next week, as it has previously overturned attempts to exclude Arab parties and candidates.
The committee's decision has led to accusations of double standards, as parties led by far-right ministers, some of whom face international sanctions, remain eligible to run. The committee voted to disqualify the Joint List, which includes Hadash, Balad, and Ta’al, and Ra’am, also known as the United Arab List, which is contesting the election independently. These parties rely on support from Palestinian citizens of Israel, who constitute about 20% of the population.
The Joint List, which has agreed to contest the election on a single list to avoid splitting votes, currently holds five seats in the Knesset. Ra’am, led by Mansour Abbas, is also running separately and has previously negotiated with other parties regarding funding and services for Arab communities. The committee's decision followed petitions from right-wing parties, Likud and Otzma Yehudit, which accused the disqualified parties of denying Israel's existence as a Jewish and democratic state and inciting racism.
The committee, chaired by a Supreme Court justice, voted 18-5 to disqualify Ra’am and the Joint List, and 18-5 to disqualify Cassif. The vote against Abu Shehadeh passed 31-4. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara opposed the disqualifications of the two lists and Cassif, stating that the evidence did not meet the legal threshold, but took a different stance on Abu Shehadeh, citing an article he wrote on October 8, 2023, which she claimed could be interpreted as support for armed struggle. Abu Shehadeh has rejected this interpretation and stated his support for a political and civil struggle for peace and equality.
Other opposition parties have supported the disqualification of Abu Shehadeh, with Yair Golan, leader of the opposition Democrats party, stating that legitimizing armed struggle is unacceptable. Adalah, a Palestinian legal rights group, disputes the case against Abu Shehadeh and plans to challenge the committee's decisions in the Supreme Court.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains eligible to run despite facing an International Criminal Court arrest warrant related to alleged war crimes and an ongoing corruption trial. Cassif described the committee's decisions as detrimental to democracy in Israel. Attempts to exclude Arab candidates have occurred in previous elections, but the Supreme Court has often reversed such decisions.
Petitions to disqualify far-right ministers Ben-Gvir and Smotrich were rejected by the election committee. Both ministers have faced international sanctions for their actions and rhetoric towards Palestinians. Attorney General Baharav-Miara stated that the bids to bar these far-right parties lacked a legal basis. Human rights advocate Ubai Al-Aboudi condemned the decision, arguing that it reflects a view of Palestinians as a demographic threat.
If the Supreme Court upholds the committee's votes, Palestinian citizens of Israel would be unable to vote for their main representatives in the Knesset. Al-Aboudi noted that this is the first time all representation has been barred, indicating a concerning trend in Israeli politics. The final decision will rest with the Supreme Court, which has a history of overturning similar committee decisions.