Israel’s top court restores Arab parties to ballot

Israel's Supreme Court has unanimously reinstated the country's two principal Arab electoral lists, Ra'am and the Joint List, to the October 27 parliamentary ballot, overturning earlier disqualifications. The decision comes after petitions accused the lists of activities violating the country's election laws, such as denying Israel's status as a Jewish and democratic state, inciting racism, or supporting armed struggle against Israel.

The court ruled that neither Ra'am nor the Joint List met the strict legal threshold required to disqualify them from the Knesset election, preserving their role as the primary electoral vehicles representing Israel's Arab minority. The Joint List, comprising Hadash, Ta'al, and Balad, and Ra'am, led by Mansour Abbas, together could secure a substantial number of seats in the fragmented parliament.

Israel's election law permits disqualification for certain violations, but the Central Elections Committee had recently barred both lists after they were accused of such conduct. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara had contested their exclusion, arguing the evidence against them was insufficient. The court's decision to reinstate the Arab lists and overturn the disqualification of Ofer Cassif, a Jewish lawmaker running with the Joint List, emphasizes the importance of electoral rights in Israeli politics.

The reinstatement could significantly impact coalition calculations and the formation of the next government, which will require a majority of 61 seats.