Subscribe to Print Edition | Thu., October 22, 2009 Cheshvan 4, 5770 | | Israel Time: 22:46 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
Jewish World Haaretz Toolbar
Diplomacy
Defense Opinion National
Print Edition
Car Rental
Focus U.S.A. Strenger than Fiction Business Travel Magazine Week's End Anglo File Books
Share |
Last update - 18:15 26/01/2009
Supreme Court overturns ban on Arab parties from national elections
By Haaretz Service
Tags: israel news, arab parties 

Israel's Supreme Court on Wednesday overturned the decision by the Central Elections Committee (CEC) to bar Israeli Arab parties from running in next month's parliamentary election.

Against the background of the Israel Defense Forces offensive in the Gaza Strip, the CEC voted overwhelmingly in favor of the motions, accusing Arab parties of incitement, supporting terrorist groups and refusing to recognize Israel's right to exist.

The court issued its decision in response to an appeal filed by Arab politicians against the ban. A spokesman for the Courts Administration said judges overturned the ban in an unanimous vote Wednesday.
Advertisement
In response to the court decision, Israeli Arab MK Ahmed Tibi said: "We have defeated fascism, but this battle is not quite complete, discrimination has become centralized. We will finish this operation in Israel on the day of elections."

The CEC last week banned the United Arab List-Ta'al and Balad from running in February's elections, amid accusations of racism from Arab MKs.

Arab faction delegates in the CEC walked out of the hall before the vote, shouting, "this is a fascist, racist state." As they walked out, CEC deputy chairman MK David Tal (Kadima) and the Arab delegates pushed each other and a Knesset guard had to intervene and separate them.

The requests to ban the Arab parties were filed by two ultra right parties Yisrael Beiteinu and National Union-National Religious Party.

In response to the Supreme Court's decision, Yisrael Beitenu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman on Wednesday called the ruling "unfortunate, since no boundary was established to prevent the disloyalty of some of the Arab MKs toward the state of Israel."

Lieberman added that "[former chief justice] Aharon Barak once said that a democracy does not need to kill itself to prove its vitality. The court threw away this declaration and in fact gave the Arab parties license to kill the state of Israel as a Jewish democratic state," adding that his party will not back down. "In the next Knesset, we will pass a citizenship law that will prevent the disloyalty of some of Israel's Arabs," he said.

The new Meretz movement welcomed the court's decision in a statement, saying "we are happy that the Kahanism that has characterized that political establishment, including Kadima and Labor, hasn't reached the justice system," referring to the party of Meir Kahane, which was in fact banned from participating in parliamentary elections over its extreme right wing views.

"Kadima and Labor will have to do some deep soul searching over their populist, senseless decisions that sought to prevent the representation of Israel's Arab citizens in parliament," Meretz's statement said.

Sports, Culture and Science Minister Raleb Majadale, the only Israeli Arab minister serving in the Knesset, also welcomed the court's decision, saying that "the court didn't yield to extremism and racism. In a democratic society, it is fitting that all minorities will be represented in the government."

Last week, after the elections committee issued the ban on the Arab parties, Balad warned that if the court were to uphold the committee's decision, the party would call for a boycott of the elections and establish an alternative Arab parliament.

Muslim and Christian Arabs make up about 20 percent of Israel's 7.4 million citizens. There are 10 Arab lawmakers in the 120-seat Knesset.
PROMOTION: Mamilla Hotel
Bookmark to del.icio.us  
 
Barring Refaeli
Ultra-Orthodox rabbis are irate over a highway billboard featuring model Bar Refaeli.
Goldstone vs. Obama
Goldstone challenges U.S. president: Show me flaws in the report on Gaza war crimes.
  1.   admirable! 17:12  |  bashar 21/01/09
  2.   Democracy and equality 1, rightists 0! 17:17  |  Northern 21/01/09
  3.   Kol haKavod 17:18  |  Niv 21/01/09
  4.   Good news! Hurrah! 17:21  |  Esther 21/01/09
  5.   Learn ENGLISH, idiots 17:24  |  Laura 21/01/09
  6.   Ban on arab parties in elections 17:25  |  MGS 21/01/09
  7.   High Court 17:30  |  Steve Kerzer 21/01/09
  8.   Haters of Israel 17:32  |  Eve 21/01/09
  9.   Mazal Tov 17:34  |  Israeli 21/01/09
  10.   Equal Laws 17:39  |  Shaka 21/01/09
  11.   Israeli "Democracy" 17:39  |  Yours Truly 21/01/09
  12.   Was to expect, wasn`t it.....????? 17:42  |  Swiss (Dino) 21/01/09
  13.   This High Court decision is racist 17:50  |  Wendy 21/01/09
  14.   Stupidity. Would any civilized country allow this? 17:51  |  Albert 21/01/09
  15.   Re Admirable & MGS 18:00  |  Brad 21/01/09
  16.   Waiting for your comments... 18:04  |  El_Justiciero 21/01/09
  17.   Such institutions differentiate Israel from Apartheid S.Africa 18:06  |  Fairplay 21/01/09
  18.   #5 Thanks, Laura for your illumination 18:07  |  dana 21/01/09
  19.   Stinking maneuvers are tolerated against Feiglin, but not Arabs 18:08  |  I 21/01/09
  20.   All is well now? 18:15  |  Murray 21/01/09
  21.   Does this mean far right Jewish parties can run? 18:20  |  judith 21/01/09
  22.   Definitions? 18:21  |  Brook 21/01/09
  23.   Terrorists representing terrorists... in the Knesset! 18:24  |  Megisto 21/01/09
  24.   Response to Albert`s response 18:29  |  Balula 21/01/09
  25.   to Steve Kerzer #8 18:31  |  Northern 21/01/09
  26.   laura 5 18:38  |  curious 21/01/09
  27.   MGS #6 18:40  |  Esther 21/01/09
  28.   Jewish Parties in Gaza? 18:43  |  David M 21/01/09
  29.   A Very Balanced Decision 18:45  |  Shimon Z. Klein 21/01/09
  30.   Laudable, however... 18:45  |  Bredd 21/01/09
  31.   Good for democracy, bad for the nerves 18:45  |  A mother 21/01/09
  32.   #5 - pointless semantics, Laura 18:54  |  D.O. 21/01/09
  33.   Laura #5... it`s not a matter of semantics... 19:03  |  Esther 21/01/09
  34.   Well, judith #19... Lieberman`s party IS running... 19:06  |  Esther 21/01/09
  35.   I #17... Feiglin is a far greater peril to democracy... 19:11  |  Esther 21/01/09
  36.   Hey Laura, you don`t get to define racism... 19:12  |  BBSNews 21/01/09
  37.   Lieberman = Kahana 19:15  |  Ethan 21/01/09
  38.   I just don`t get it 19:18  |  Alex Simmonds 21/01/09
  39.   IN A DEMOCRACY, THERE NEEDS TO BE "THE LOYAL OPPPOSITION" 19:23  |  JEWISH DOCTOR 21/01/09
  40.   Well, David M #27... when the messiah comes... 19:24  |  Esther 21/01/09
  41.   If the high court can return occupied land and allow 19:25  |  American 21/01/09
  42.   Let Kach run too 19:25  |  Meir 21/01/09
  43.   @ Albert 19:27  |  Jay 21/01/09
  44.   Israeli Jews have no choice 19:36  |  Chris Linthwaite 21/01/09
  45.   I would like to see the same from Muslim countries 19:46  |  Stan 21/01/09
  46.   Shame on the Court!!! 19:57  |  JBI 21/01/09
  47.   To Northern. . . Arabs just want = status? 20:31  |  ed 21/01/09
  48.   Sane voice in Israel -- but who enforces? 20:41  |  Linda Wenrick 21/01/09
  49.   The ban was on these parties, not all Arabs 20:41  |  Amnon 21/01/09
  50.   Arab MKs 20:46  |  Norman 21/01/09
  51.   Justuce Prevails in a Democracy 20:47  |  shai 21/01/09
  52.   Another Perspective on why the decision is right 20:49  |  Brad 21/01/09
  53.   sanity and democracy 23:14  |  Sceptic 21/01/09
  54.   #12 - Swiss (Dino) 23:52  |  JP 21/01/09
  55.   Brad 02:12  |  John 22/01/09
  56.   balance 09:33  |  ramon 22/01/09
  57.   christian arabs 22:43  |  Alistair 22/10/09
Special Offers
Advertisement
Eldan Rent a Car
Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on online reservations
Date Local Jewish Singles
Ready to meet your match? Join Jdate today!
Junkyard
Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt
More Headlines
22:00 Barak: Iran must halt uranium enrichment
22:15 Mitchell to visit Israel in fresh bid to relaunch peace talks
18:58 'Hamas holding intensive negotiations over Shalit'
18:56 After Israel envoy snub, Livni lauds J Street conference
20:15 Court: Allow Palestinian movement on West Bank road
17:45 U.S.: IDF defense drill helping craft Europe missile shield
22:29 Coen brothers 'pleasantly surprised' by U.S. Jews' reaction to new film
00:11 TV ROUND-UP: Iran uranium deal presented; Barak fined for poor Knesset attendance
15:31 Iran, Israel attend secret nuclear meet in Cairo
16:37 Four suspected of stealing 35 tons of meat from Holon warehouse
16:58 Goldstone tells Obama: Show me flaws in Gaza report
09:17 Bar Refaeli highway billboard roils rabbis
22:38 Protesters besiege BBC studios over far-rightist TV appearance
Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Site rules |
| Advert: Recommended Restaurants | Makom: Engaging on Israel
| Search engine marketing
Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.
© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved