Brief
Israel Supreme Court lifts ban on Arab parties and reinstates Hadash MK
The court ruled unanimously to restore two Arab lists and a Jewish‑Arab MK, after a hearing that saw Balad leader Sami Abu Shehadeh withdraw under pressure.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Israel’s Supreme Court on Friday unanimously overturned the Central Elections Committee’s decision to bar the country’s two main Arab‑majority lists – the United Arab List (Ra’am) and the Joint List – from the upcoming Knesset election, and also reinstated Hadash MK Ofer Cassif, according to Israeli media reports.
What happened
The court voted 7‑2 to reverse the committee’s September disqualification of the Joint List, Ra’am and two individual candidates, Ofer Cassif and Balad leader Sami Abu Shehadeh. The two dissenting justices said Cassif supports “armed struggle against the state of Israel,” a ground for exclusion.
What the reports add
Al Jazeera noted that the decision keeps Palestinian citizens, who comprise about 20 % of Israel’s population, in the electoral race ahead of the October 27 vote. It also reported that Supreme Court President Yitzhak Amit told Abu Shehadeh the majority favored his disqualification and gave him a deadline to withdraw, which he did.
What was said
National Security Minister Itamar Ben‑Gvir, a far‑right ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, had pushed for Abu Shehadeh’s removal over an article describing the Oct 7, 2023 Hamas attacks as “an important historical event.” Abu Shehadeh denied supporting the attacks.
How it came about
The disqualification followed petitions by Likud and Otzma Yehudit accusing the Arab parties of anti‑state rhetoric. Earlier Felo coverage detailed the election committee’s September vote to bar the lists (Israel Bans Arab Parties From Upcoming Election). The Supreme Court has historically overruled such bans, but this case saw a rare dissent.
Key facts
- Israel's Supreme Court unanimously overturned the ban on the Joint List and Ra’am. (aljazeera.com)
- The court reinstated Hadash MK Ofer Cassif with a 7‑2 vote. (aljazeera.com)
- Balad leader Sami Abu Shehadeh withdrew after the court gave him a deadline. (aljazeera.com)
Timeline
- 2026-09-XX — Central Elections Committee voted to disqualify Joint List, Ra’am, Ofer Cassif and Sami Abu Shehadeh.
- 2026-10-01 — Supreme Court hearing where Abu Shehadeh was told to withdraw.
- 2026-10-02 — Supreme Court unanimously overturns the ban and reinstates Cassif.
Sources
- [1] aljazeera.com — originally reported as “Israel’s Supreme Court overturns election panel ban on Arab parties”
