Israel moves to bar both main Arab lists from October election

Israel’s Central Elections Committee voted to disqualify the United Arab List (Ra’am) led by Mansour Abbas and the Joint List, an alliance of Arab-led parties, from the October 27 elections. The decisions are subject to Supreme Court approval, and the lists can appeal. Adalah, the legal center representing the parties, plans to challenge the rulings. Ra’am called the exclusion political and unacceptable, while the Joint List accused Netanyahu and Ben-Gvir of trying to discourage Arab voters, fearing their potential to influence the government’s fall.