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Israel bars both main Arab parties from October election in Supreme Court showdown looming

From the Newshound archive · first published 24 September 2026 · last updated 25 September 2026.

Sami Abu Shehadeh, the Balad chair whom Israel's Central Elections Committee voted 30-4 to personally bar from standing, even if his party is ultimately permitted to run.
Sami Abu Shehadeh, the Balad chair whom Israel's Central Elections Committee voted 30-4 to personally bar from standing, even if his party is ultimately permitted to run.

Israel's Central Elections Committee voted 18-5 to disqualify Ra'am and the Joint List — the two parties representing Palestinian citizens of Israel — from the October 27 Knesset election, stripping representation from more than 1.25 million voters. The bans, pushed by Netanyahu's Likud and Ben-Gvir's far-right Otzma Yehudit, are not final; the Supreme Court is expected to hear appeals next week and has overturned most such disqualifications in previous elections. The committee also separately voted to bar individual candidates Ofer Cassif of Hadash and Balad chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh. Even Israel's attorney general opposed the move, finding the evidence insufficient to justify disqualification.

Ra'am leader Mansour Abbas called the ruling 'political and unacceptable', and his party denies any links to terrorism.

The Joint List accused Netanyahu and Ben-Gvir of trying to suppress Arab turnout 'because they fear our ability to bring down the government.'

Critics note Israel is the only country where disqualification is decided by a party-based body, not a court or professional commission.

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