The Central Elections Committee plenum on Thursday rejected a request submitted by the Democrats to disqualify the Otzma Yehudit party from running in the elections for the 26th Knesset.
Additional requests to disqualify the Religious Zionist Party-Zehut list and the Democrats were subsequently rejected as well.
In the request against Otzma Yehudit, the Committee was asked to determine whether the party should be barred from participating in the elections on two main grounds: negating the existence of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, and incitement to racism.
Following a lengthy discussion, the disqualification request was rejected, with 19 committee members voting against it, 10 in favor, and one abstaining.
Otzma Yehudit chairman National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir responded: "It is simply incredible. Yesterday, in the vote, Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid abstained - they abstained from voting to disqualify Ra’am (United Arab List) and to disqualify the Joint List - and today they come to disqualify me. Unbelievable."
He added: "Just as they tried to harm me physically, today they tried to eliminate me politically. Despite them and against their wishes, I will continue to act on behalf of the People of Israel, the Land of Israel, and the Torah of Israel. I will continue to act against the terrorists in the prisons and to arm the people of Israel."
During the hearing, a confrontation erupted between MK Ahmad Tibi and Ben Gvir, and Ben Gvir called Tibi a "terrorist."
Tibi then responded, "Shut up! He calls me a terrorist even though he was convicted of terrorism. He calls me a terrorist even though he is the terrorist who was convicted of terrorism!"
Ben Gvir responded from the audience: "The terrorist will not tell me to shut up."
Committee Chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg intervened and brought the exchange to an end.