JERUSALEM, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Israel's Central Elections Committee voted on Wednesday to bar an Arab party and two left-wing lawmakers from running in the Oct. 27 election.
The committee voted to bar Ra'am, an Arab party led by Mansour Abbas that has pursued a pragmatic, integrationist approach and previously joined an Israeli governing coalition, following petitions, including one filed by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's Jewish Power party.
It voted to disqualify Sami Abu Shehadeh, head of Balad, an Arab party that advocates turning Israel into a "state of all its citizens," following a petition by Jewish Power. The petition alleged that Abu Shehadeh supported armed struggle against Israel, an accusation he denied.
It also voted to disqualify Ofer Cassif, a Jewish lawmaker from the Hadash party, which advocates Jewish-Arab equality and an end to the occupation. The vote followed a petition by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, which argued that Cassif rejects Israel's definition as a "Jewish and democratic state."
The committee is headed by a Supreme Court justice but is composed largely of representatives of parties in the outgoing parliament, with the governing coalition holding a majority. Israeli law sets a high threshold for excluding candidates and party lists, and the Supreme Court has repeatedly overturned disqualification decisions. ■
