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Last update - 19:30 26/01/2009
Arab parties: We'll establish an alternative Arab parliament
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Israeli Arabs, Israel news 

Israeli Arab political party Balad, recently banned from the upcoming general elections by Israel's Central Elections Committee, warned Wednesday that if the Supreme Court upholds the committee's decision, the party would call for a boycott of the elections and establish an alternative Arab parliament.

Balad Chairman MK Jamal Zahalka told Haaretz on Wednesday that if the court upholds the ban, "our call for the establishment of an Arab parliament will gain immense momentum. If we can't be elected to parliament, we'll establish one of our own."

Balad, like the northern chapter of Islamic Movement, have been seeking elections for the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee in Israel for some time now, thus essentially establishing an independent parliament.
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The CEC voted overwhelmingly in favor of the motions to ban the Arab parties Monday, accusing the Arab parties of incitement, supporting terrorist groups and refusing to recognize Israel's right to exist.

Another Israeli Arab party, Hadash, opposes this move, calling it separatist, and maintaining that Jews and Arabs need to combine their efforts in political endeavors in the state of Israel.

Zahalka devoted the morning to a long meeting at the offices of the Arab rights legal center Adalah, which is preparing the court petitions seeking to overturn the committee's ban on Arab parties from participating in the elections. Adalah fears that the justices who receive the petitions will be influenced by the current warfare in Gaza, and prejudiced against the Arab plight.

Zahalka went on to say that "the banning of the Arab parties will give rise to a serious crisis in the relations between the state and its Arab citizens. All the parties voted for the ban, but parties that wish to rule the country must understand that this is not in their best interest. They are waiting for the court to rescue them."

Hadash, which defines itself as a "Jewish-Arab" party, has called on the Arab public not to comply with calls to boycott the elections, even if the ban on Arab parties is upheld by the courts.

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      1.   .. calling yourself a democracy? shame on you!! 20:55  |  nurit 14/01/09
      2.   To #1 Democarcy insures the right to vote 22:08  |  Levi 14/01/09
      3.   If we banned kahane for inciting againt arabs 22:13  |  Yuval 14/01/09
      4.   Theres alot 22:14  |  Jess Ghannam 14/01/09
      5.   Good On You Israel! 22:23  |  Brad 14/01/09
      6.   Equality 22:58  |  Arie 14/01/09
      7.   Arab parliament is in gaza 23:00  |  bernard ross 14/01/09
      8.   Set up a separate parliament 23:00  |  Arie 14/01/09
      9.   to #3 01:19  |  Northern 15/01/09
      10.   Misleading headline 01:21  |  Reuben Jacobs 15/01/09
      11.   NOBODY is stopping Israeli Arabs from having political parties 01:41  |  PETER SM 15/01/09
      12.   democracy does not mean parties who wish to destroy the state are 01:46  |  ralph 15/01/09
      13.   any time they want their own parliment they can leave to gaza 01:47  |  ralph 15/01/09
      14.   empty threats jewish israel or leave to any arab country 01:48  |  ralph 15/01/09
      15.   the same rights as any citizen. 01:50  |  a wandering Jew 15/01/09
      16.   No democracy gives citizenship to those wanting to destroy it. 01:53  |  Esther 15/01/09
      17.   What penalty is there for assisting the enemy during a war? 01:55  |  klaus 15/01/09
      18.   Establish it in Saudi Arabia - if the`ll let you jerks in. 02:03  |  Ori 15/01/09
      19.   aparthied 02:13  |  dan 15/01/09
      20.   Constituent Assembly 02:28  |  naftali Lavie 15/01/09
      21.   Reuben in londonstan 02:32  |  Arie 15/01/09
      22.   The Latin Kingdom 04:14  |  Adam 15/01/09
      23.   Welcome democratic initiative 04:26  |  Omer 15/01/09
      24.   separatistParty 04:26  |  Yaacob 15/01/09
      25.   make sure the arab parliament is set up 04:27  |  Lorne 15/01/09
      26.   Arab parties: We`ll establish an alternative Arab parliament 06:42  |  slasara 15/01/09
      27.   who is is suppose to leave??? 09:05  |  Jerusalemite! 15/01/09
      28.   #1 nurit 15:22  |  Moshe 15/01/09
      29.   ignore the facts. to # 16 21:00  |  jalil 15/01/09
      30.   One state solution 21:00  |  Brad 15/01/09
      31.   Al Qaeda in US Senate? ETA in Spanish parliament? 09:30  |  nadav 18/01/09
      32.   Arab Parties New Parliament 19:59  |  Fredy Ross 26/01/09
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