Israel’s Central Elections Committee has voted to disqualify the United Arab List (Ra’am) and the Joint List from the upcoming election scheduled for October 27. This decision raises concerns about the political representation of Palestinian citizens in Israel. The committee's vote took place on Wednesday and also included the disqualification of Hadash legislator Ofer Cassif and Balad leader Sami Abu Shehadeh.
The bans are not final and require Supreme Court approval. The legal center Adalah, representing the affected parties, plans to challenge the committee’s decisions in court next week. Ra’am described its exclusion as 'political and unacceptable,' asserting that it aims to prevent the party from influencing the balance of power. The Joint List accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir of attempting to discourage Arab citizens from voting, fearing their potential impact on the government.
Abu Shehadeh stated that his exclusion is an effort to silence criticism of government policies and emphasized that he has never called for violence. The committee’s decisions are based on Section 7A of Basic Law: The Knesset, which allows for the exclusion of candidates or lists that deny Israel’s existence as a Jewish state or incite racism.
Netanyahu’s Likud party initiated the disqualification efforts against the Joint List and Ra’am, while Ben-Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party sought to bar Abu Shehadeh. Adalah contests the allegations against Ra’am, claiming there is no evidence supporting the claims of armed struggle.
The Attorney General found no legal basis to exclude the other targeted parties but indicated that an article published by Abu Shehadeh may warrant further examination. The committee voted 31-4 to disqualify him, a decision that requires Supreme Court approval.
Ra’am previously participated in a coalition government that ended Netanyahu’s consecutive terms in office in 2021. A recent poll suggested the Joint List could secure seven seats and Ra’am five, while Netanyahu’s coalition is projected to hold 50 seats. The Supreme Court has previously overturned bans on Arab lists, and its upcoming ruling will determine the eligibility of these lists for the October ballot.