Attorney-General Elyakim Rubenstein has asked the Central Elections Board to disqualify the Arab party Balad - that of Azmi Bishara - from running in the upcoming election. Rubenstein balanced this request, however, with a similar request to nullify the candidacy of right-winger Baruch Marzel, currently the #2 man on the Knesset list of MK Michael Kleiner.
Arutz-7's Haggai Seri reports that tonight is the deadline for submitting such disqualification requests (tomorrow night for requests regarding new parties). Likud MK Yisrael Katz also asked that Balad be voided, in light of the law that he himself sponsored banning parties from running that call for the end of Israel as a Jewish state. Regarding Marzel, Rubenstein brought police evidence showing that Marzel heads the outlawed Kach movement and should be disqualified as such. Marzel says he quit Kach 20 seconds after it was outlawed. The Labor Party jumped on the anti-Marzel bandwagon, saying today, "We're not usually in favor of such disqualifications, but Marzel is different."
Marzel's reaction: "Herut's sharp jump in the polls after I joined has caused Rubenstein to lose his head and interfere with democracy. The more they persecute us, the more we will grow."
Arutz-7's Haggai Seri reports that tonight is the deadline for submitting such disqualification requests (tomorrow night for requests regarding new parties). Likud MK Yisrael Katz also asked that Balad be voided, in light of the law that he himself sponsored banning parties from running that call for the end of Israel as a Jewish state. Regarding Marzel, Rubenstein brought police evidence showing that Marzel heads the outlawed Kach movement and should be disqualified as such. Marzel says he quit Kach 20 seconds after it was outlawed. The Labor Party jumped on the anti-Marzel bandwagon, saying today, "We're not usually in favor of such disqualifications, but Marzel is different."
Marzel's reaction: "Herut's sharp jump in the polls after I joined has caused Rubenstein to lose his head and interfere with democracy. The more they persecute us, the more we will grow."