
Israel’s Central Election Commission (CEC) voted on Thursday to allow the Ra’am party to stand in the election, while the Israeli-Arab Balad party was disqualified to run in a 9-5 vote.
Despite appeals filed alleging that Ra’am “supports terrorism,” the vote to allow their running passed 14-0, with representatives from Likud, the Religious Zionist Party, Yesh Atid, and Labor not present.
Israel’s Defense Minister Benny Gantz of the National Unity Party ruled on Thursday that all of his party representatives on the election committee will vote to disqualify Balad from running for parliament.
Earlier this month, the party of Israel’s Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman, Yisrael Beiteinu, submitted a request to the CEC to disqualify the chairman of Balad, Sami Abou Shahadeh, so that he could not run in the upcoming election.
The suit against Ra’am – who represents the southern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel – were filed by the Choosing Life – Forum of Bereaved Families group and the Ad Kan – Young People for Israel NGO. The appeal against Balad was filed by a little-known political party called Anachnu – Together for a New Social Order.
“There is no place in [parliament] for representatives of a movement that operates institutionally to aid declared terrorist elements and for the benefit of elements in enemy countries in violation of the law,” Ad kan said in its appeal against Ra’am.
A representative of Israel’s attorney general said the commission does not support blocking Ra’am, as there was insufficient evidence that it actually supports terrorism.
The CEC is headed by Supreme Court Justice Yitzchak Amit but is made up of representatives from all political parties in parliament.
Israeli law states that a list of candidates or an individual cannot participate in elections if their actions or program include denying the existence of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, inciting racism, or supporting armed struggle by a hostile state or terrorist organization against the State of Israel.