By WorldSpokesperson International Desk
Israel’s Central Elections Committee has voted to bar two major Arab political lists from the country’s October 27, 2026 election.
The committee voted to disqualify Ra’am, also known as the United Arab List, and the Joint List, an alliance of Hadash, Ta’al and Balad.
However, the decisions are not final. The parties can challenge the disqualifications before Israel’s Supreme Court.
Ra’am and Joint List Disqualified
The committee voted 18-5, with one abstention, to bar both Ra’am and the Joint List from the election.
Ra’am is led by Mansour Abbas. The Joint List brings together the Arab-led Hadash, Ta’al and Balad factions.
The committee also voted separately to disqualify Joint List candidates Ofer Cassif and Sami Abu Shehadeh. Their cases will also face Supreme Court review.
Petitions Filed by Netanyahu Allies
The disqualification requests came from parties and groups linked to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition.
Netanyahu’s Likud party filed the petition against the Joint List. Likud, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s Jewish Power party and the Choose Life Forum also filed petitions concerning Ra’am.
The petitions cited provisions of Israel’s Basic Law: The Knesset. These provisions allow the exclusion of a party or candidate under certain conditions, including support for armed struggle against Israel or rejection of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.
The Attorney General’s Office opposed both party disqualifications. It argued that the evidence did not meet the strict legal threshold required for such a move.
Supreme Court Review Expected
The affected parties are expected to challenge the committee’s decisions.
Adalah, which represents the parties and candidates, has said it will contest the decisions before the Supreme Court. The court is expected to consider the cases next week.
The Supreme Court has previously set a high threshold for election disqualifications and has overturned similar decisions involving Arab political parties and candidates.
Therefore, the Central Elections Committee’s decision does not yet determine whether Ra’am and the Joint List will be excluded from the final ballot.
Israel Election Set for October 27
Israel is scheduled to hold its Knesset election on October 27, 2026.
The election will determine the composition of the country’s 120-seat parliament.
The latest committee decisions have placed the political participation of major Arab parties at the centre of the election process. The final outcome will depend on the Supreme Court’s review.
