Israel's Central Elections Committee decided on Wednesday to disqualify the Joint List, composed of the Arab Hadash, Ta'al and Balad parties, from running in the upcoming elections for the Knesset.
The Joint List strongly rejected the Central Elections Committee’s decision, calling it a "political, racist, and anti-democratic decision," and stating that it expects the Supreme Court to dismiss it.
The party claimed that the decision is an attempt to "disqualify the political representatives of more than one million voters, who constitute 20% of the country’s citizens. This is a severe violation of the fundamental right to vote and be elected, and a direct continuation of Netanyahu and the right wing’s years-long campaign to delegitimize the Arab public."
According to the Joint List, "Netanyahu and Ben Gvir know that the only way they can remain in power is by disqualifying Arab political representation and suppressing voter turnout in Arab society. This is how they seek to pave their way to another term."
The party added, "It is deeply regrettable to see that those who claim to seek to replace Netanyahu are once again falling into the racist trap set by Netanyahu and Ben Gvir and lending their support to this political campaign. In doing so, they are contributing to the continued racist persecution of the entire Arab public, deepening racism and perpetuating the rule of Netanyahu and his political partners."
"The Joint List is the only party that has placed at the forefront of its platform the struggle for democracy for all, genuine equality, justice and comprehensive peace. It is the only alternative to the racist policies of Netanyahu and Ben Gvir."
The party pledged that "together with Jewish democratic forces," it will "continue fighting the politically motivated disqualification, racism, Netanyahu and Ben Gvir - and it will prevail."
The decision comes hours after the committee disqualified the Knesset runs of the United Arab List (Ra'am), Hadash MK Ofer Cassif, and Balad Chairman MK Sami Abu Shehadeh.
The petitions to disqualify Ra’am were submitted to the committee by Otzma Yehudit, Likud, and the Choosing Life Forum. Following the Elections Committee’s decision, the question of whether the party will be permitted to participate in the elections will now be decided by the Supreme Court.
The hearing on Ra’am was held as part of an extensive day of deliberations on disqualification petitions submitted ahead of the elections for the 26th Knesset. A total of seven hearings on disqualification requests have been scheduled during the current election campaign - two concerning individual candidates and five concerning party lists.
Earlier today, the Elections Committee decided to disqualify Abu Shehadeh following a petition submitted by Otzma Yehudit. Thirty-one members of the committee voted in favor of his disqualification, while four voted against.
In an unusual move, Central Elections Committee chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg decided to participate in the vote and voted in favor of disqualification.
“I will depart from the customary practice of committee chairmen to maintain neutrality. I did not find an answer that could satisfy me, and therefore, although this is rare, I am voting in favor of disqualifying Sami Abu Shehadeh. If there is a case in which the application is clear, this is the case," Sohlberg said.
Before that, the Elections Committee accepted Likud’s petition to disqualify MK Ofer Cassif. In the vote on his case, 19 committee members supported disqualification, five opposed it, and two abstained.
Likud’s petition against Cassif was filed on the grounds of negating the existence of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state. At the conclusion of the hearing, the committee decided to accept the petition on the grounds of support for an armed struggle by an enemy state or terrorist organization against the State of Israel.
The disqualification decisions do not conclude the proceedings. The final decision regarding the candidates and party lists that were disqualified will be made by the Supreme Court.