Israel’s Supreme Court overturns election panel ban on Arab parties

Israel’s Supreme Court unanimously overturned the Central Elections Committee’s ban on Arab parties, including Ra’am and the Joint List, as well as candidates Ofer Cassif and Sami Abu Shehadeh, allowing Palestinian citizens of Israel to participate in the October 27 elections. The court’s decision was based on the ruling that the disqualification did not meet legal requirements. Two justices dissented, citing Cassif’s support for armed struggle against Israel as grounds for disqualification.