Israel’s Supreme Court unanimously overturned the election committee’s bans on Raam and the Joint List, allowing both to contest the October 27 parliamentary election. It separately restored Ofer Cassif’s candidacy by seven votes to two. The party-list decisions followed September exclusions; Balad leader Sami Abu Shehadeh’s individual case took a separate course.
Israel’s Supreme Court unanimously overturned the Central Elections Committee’s bans on Raam and the Joint List on October 2. The ruling allows both lists to contest the October 27 parliamentary election. Raam is the United Arab List party; the Joint List brings together the Hadash, Taal and Balad parties. The election committee had excluded the lists in September.[1], [2]
The court separately restored Hadash lawmaker Ofer Cassif’s eligibility by seven votes to two. The dissenting judges considered his position to fall under the prohibition on supporting the armed struggle of a hostile organisation. Israel’s basic-law provisions allow exclusion for grounds including rejection of the state’s Jewish and democratic character, incitement to racism or support for armed struggle by a hostile state or organisation.[1]
The party-list appeal was distinct from the candidacy case of Balad leader Sami Abu Shehadeh. Chief Justice Yitzhak Amit had indicated the previous day that a majority of nine judges favoured his disqualification; Abu Shehadeh subsequently withdrew. Itamar Ben-Gvir had relied on an article Abu Shehadeh wrote on October 8, 2023. Abu Shehadeh denied supporting Hamas’s attack, and Balad said the treatment of his candidacy created a precedent.[1]
Palestinian citizens comprise about 20 per cent of Israel’s population. Raam became the first Arab party to join a governing coalition in 2021. For this election, it included Jewish Zionist candidate Yoav Segalovitz, who previously worked on crime in Arab communities as deputy internal security minister.[1]
