Israel’s elections committee rejects disqualification motions filed by far rightists against Arab parties

17/02/2021

Two motions submitted by ‘Jewish Power’ party and religious Zionist list rejected by vote of 15-3; Adalah represented Joint List and Ra’am lists throughout disqualification process.

Israel’s Central Elections Committee (CEC) rejected on Wednesday, 17 February 2021, motions filed by the extreme-right “Jewish Power” party and the Religious Zionism list to disqualify two Palestinian Arab lists from participating in the upcoming Israeli national elections.

Attorney Itamar Ben Gvir had filed motions to disqualify Ra’am and the Arab Joint List from running in the impending parliamentary elections, slated for 23 March 2021.

Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel represented both Arab lists throughout the disqualification process.

The disqualification motions filed by Ben Gvir were based on old evidence and allegations, most of which had already been debated extensively and rejected by Israel’s Supreme Court. Some of the evidence had, in fact, been mistranslated from its original Arabic or taken entirely out of context.

During Wednesday’s hearing, Adalah Attorney Sawsan Zaher emphasized that the disqualification motions were based on old evidence and allegations, most of which had already been debated extensively and rejected by Israel’s Supreme Court. Some of the evidence was, in fact, mistranslated from its original Arabic or taken entirely out of context.

Adalah stresses that the very existence of election disqualification hearings on motions driven solely by racist motivations indicates a basic flaw in a system that failed to reject them outright. So long as the power to disqualify candidates and parties remains in the hands of a politicized body, we can expect this forum will continue to serve those elements that employ dangerous incitement in order to delegitimize elected members of the Arab public.

Adalah Attorneys Hassan Jabareen and Sawsan Zaher represented both the Joint List and Ra’am on Wednesday’s disqualification hearings, assisted by Adalah legal apprentice Adan Tatour.

CLICK HERE or below to watch the CEC hearing on the Joint List