Israel's Central Elections Committee hears petitions to disqualify Arab parties & communist candidates
A series of hearings on petitions filed against candidates and party lists seeking to run in the elections will take place over the next two days
The Central Elections Committee, on Wednesday, discussed petitions submitted to it, demanding the disqualification of candidates or parties registered to participate in the election process. The hearings are expected to continue for two days, chaired by Judge Noam Sohlberg, during which the representatives will present their arguments on the issue.
The first discussion is expected to address the Likud Party’s request to disqualify MK Ofer Cassif from the Hadash-Ta’al party from running. Afterwards, the committee will address the petition of Otzma Yehudit against the chairman of the Balad party, Sami Abu Shehadeh.
Another petition that will be raised was submitted by three parties, Otzma Yehudit, Likud, and Choose Life Forum (or Forum Bocharim BaChaim), and seeks to disqualify the Ra'am party. The last issue expected to be raised on the first day of deliberations is a petition submitted by Likud and the "Orot Hashachar" party, demanding that the Arab Joint List and Balad be disqualified from running in the election.
In a statement, the Yisrael Beiteinu party said, "Any Zionist government formed after the elections must define the elimination of Hamas as a central objective of its security policy... Therefore, we will vote in favor of disqualifying the Arab Joint List, Ra’am, Ofer Cassif, and Sami Abu Shehadeh."