The Supreme Court of Israel decided this morning to allow Baruch Marzel of Herut and Arab party MKs Azmi Bishara and Ahmed Tibi to run for the Knesset. The Court ruled that Defense Minister Sha'ul Mofaz and Jewish Leadership leader Moshe Feiglin, who were 12th and 40th, respectively, on the Likud Knesset list, may not run for Knesset. The Court came out against the Central Elections Committee regarding Bishara and Tibi, and against Attorney-General Elyakim Rubenstein regarding Bishara and Marzel.
Marzel: Ruling against a petition filed by Labor MK Ophir Pines claiming that Marzel is a racist, and against the opinion of Elections Committee Chairman Justice Michael Cheshin, the Court sustained the Committee's ruling to allow former Kach activist Baruch Marzel of Hevron to run for Knesset. Marzel had contended that he is no longer associated with the outlawed political party founded by the late Rabbi Meir Kahane. Marzel's lawyer told the Court that if Marzel is banned, yet it later turns out that he is in fact not racist, the decision will not be able to be reversed - whereas if he is allowed to run, and he begins to make racist statements, his Knesset membership can be revoked.
In a press conference in the Machaneh Yehuda outdoors market in Jerusalem late this morning, Marzel - #2 on the Herut party list - stated that the decision represented a milestone in Israeli politics. He added that Rabbi Meir Kahane - who was prevented from running for the Knesset after serving one term - "was a great Jew!" Escorted by Herut leader MK Michael Kleiner, Marzel added, "The true High Justice is in Heaven, and He decided to assist us [in fighting] the campaign against us."
Bishara: The High Court voted 7-4 to allow Bishara and his party to run for the Knesset. The Court's decision overruled the opinion of Attorney-General Elyakim Rubenstein, who had told the Central Elections Commission that the Arab MK's overt support of terrorism and his negation of Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state must disqualify him from running for the Knesset. Bishara responded to the ruling by stating that Israel's Supreme Court is finally coming to grips with the idea that Israel must be a "state of all its residents," and not necessarily a Jewish state.
Feiglin: The Court sustained the Election Commission's ruling to disqualify Likud candidate Moshe Feiglin, claiming that his conviction five years ago on charges of "sedition" - for organizing road-block protests of the Oslo Accords - was a crime involving "moral turpitude." Israeli law states that conviction of such a crime makes one ineligible to run for Knesset for seven years. Feiglin's lawyer, Haggai Yekutiel, said that the ruling was a "blow against democracy." He explained that thousands of people had registered with the Likud party for the express purpose of voting for Feiglin, and that today's decision "prevents these citizens from voting for their chosen candidate."
Lashing out at the High Court, Feiglin himself - head of the Likud's Jewish Leadership faction - noted that "the same body that approved the candidacies of those responsible for the murder of Jews disallowed my candidacy." In a prepared statement, he said, "My disqualification for 'moral turpitude' is not surprising. This is part of the general putsch being carried out in recent weeks against the wishes of the nation, by the media, the State Attorney's Department, and the Law Courts... Acts against the Oslo agreements are honorable, and do not involve moral turpitude. I shall continue to fight, from within the Likud, against the bodies that took control of our lives, dragged us to the bloody Oslo agreements, and turned Israeli democracy into a farce."
Tibi: In contrast to the above decision, the Supreme Court ruled that Arab MK Ahmed Tibi, advisor to PLO terrorist chief Yasser Arafat, may continue to be Knesset Member. The unanimous ruling overturned the decision of the Election's Committee to disqualify Tibi because of his support for Arafat's policy in favor of terror as a weapon against the State of Israel.
Mofaz: In possibly the least surprising decision, the Court upheld the Election Commission's ruling to disqualify Mofaz on the technical grounds that his required six-month cooling-off period will not have passed between his retirement from the army as IDF Chief of Staff and the election. The Court rejected Mofaz's contention that the six months should begin when he handed over his job to his successor Moshe Ya'alon, and not when he formally retired from the army shortly afterwards. Likud sources say that Prime Minister Sharon's announcement - that even though Mofaz may not be an MK, Sharon would still appoint him Defense Minister in the next government - is still in effect.
Marzel: Ruling against a petition filed by Labor MK Ophir Pines claiming that Marzel is a racist, and against the opinion of Elections Committee Chairman Justice Michael Cheshin, the Court sustained the Committee's ruling to allow former Kach activist Baruch Marzel of Hevron to run for Knesset. Marzel had contended that he is no longer associated with the outlawed political party founded by the late Rabbi Meir Kahane. Marzel's lawyer told the Court that if Marzel is banned, yet it later turns out that he is in fact not racist, the decision will not be able to be reversed - whereas if he is allowed to run, and he begins to make racist statements, his Knesset membership can be revoked.
In a press conference in the Machaneh Yehuda outdoors market in Jerusalem late this morning, Marzel - #2 on the Herut party list - stated that the decision represented a milestone in Israeli politics. He added that Rabbi Meir Kahane - who was prevented from running for the Knesset after serving one term - "was a great Jew!" Escorted by Herut leader MK Michael Kleiner, Marzel added, "The true High Justice is in Heaven, and He decided to assist us [in fighting] the campaign against us."
Bishara: The High Court voted 7-4 to allow Bishara and his party to run for the Knesset. The Court's decision overruled the opinion of Attorney-General Elyakim Rubenstein, who had told the Central Elections Commission that the Arab MK's overt support of terrorism and his negation of Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state must disqualify him from running for the Knesset. Bishara responded to the ruling by stating that Israel's Supreme Court is finally coming to grips with the idea that Israel must be a "state of all its residents," and not necessarily a Jewish state.
Feiglin: The Court sustained the Election Commission's ruling to disqualify Likud candidate Moshe Feiglin, claiming that his conviction five years ago on charges of "sedition" - for organizing road-block protests of the Oslo Accords - was a crime involving "moral turpitude." Israeli law states that conviction of such a crime makes one ineligible to run for Knesset for seven years. Feiglin's lawyer, Haggai Yekutiel, said that the ruling was a "blow against democracy." He explained that thousands of people had registered with the Likud party for the express purpose of voting for Feiglin, and that today's decision "prevents these citizens from voting for their chosen candidate."
Lashing out at the High Court, Feiglin himself - head of the Likud's Jewish Leadership faction - noted that "the same body that approved the candidacies of those responsible for the murder of Jews disallowed my candidacy." In a prepared statement, he said, "My disqualification for 'moral turpitude' is not surprising. This is part of the general putsch being carried out in recent weeks against the wishes of the nation, by the media, the State Attorney's Department, and the Law Courts... Acts against the Oslo agreements are honorable, and do not involve moral turpitude. I shall continue to fight, from within the Likud, against the bodies that took control of our lives, dragged us to the bloody Oslo agreements, and turned Israeli democracy into a farce."
Tibi: In contrast to the above decision, the Supreme Court ruled that Arab MK Ahmed Tibi, advisor to PLO terrorist chief Yasser Arafat, may continue to be Knesset Member. The unanimous ruling overturned the decision of the Election's Committee to disqualify Tibi because of his support for Arafat's policy in favor of terror as a weapon against the State of Israel.
Mofaz: In possibly the least surprising decision, the Court upheld the Election Commission's ruling to disqualify Mofaz on the technical grounds that his required six-month cooling-off period will not have passed between his retirement from the army as IDF Chief of Staff and the election. The Court rejected Mofaz's contention that the six months should begin when he handed over his job to his successor Moshe Ya'alon, and not when he formally retired from the army shortly afterwards. Likud sources say that Prime Minister Sharon's announcement - that even though Mofaz may not be an MK, Sharon would still appoint him Defense Minister in the next government - is still in effect.