From Election panel rejects bid to disqualify Ben Gvir’s far-right Otzma Yehudit
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleAriela Karmel is a political correspondent at The Times of Israel. She previously reported for Calcalist and Haaretz. She holds an MA in Middle Eastern and African History from Tel Aviv University and a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.
The Central Elections Committee votes 19-10 against disqualifying National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s far-right Otzma Yehudit party from running in the October 27 election, rejecting petitions filed by the Democrats and the Zulat Institute for Equality and Human Rights.
The petition sought to bar Otzma Yehudit under provisions of Basic Law: The Knesset, a quasi-constitutional law prohibiting parties that negate Israel’s existence as a Jewish and democratic state or incite racism.
“Ben Gvir is not a right-wing Zionist; he is a racist Kahanist who has been convicted of incitement to racism and supporting a terrorist organization,” says Democrats MK Gilad Kariv during a hearing on his party’s petition to disqualify the Otzma Yehudit slate.
Ben Gvir was convicted in 2007 of incitement to racism and supporting a terrorist organization.
Otzma Yehudit has filed a reciprocal petition seeking to disqualify the left-wing Democrats, which will be voted upon later today. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has said there is no legal basis for barring either party from the election.
The CEC is headed by a Supreme Court justice but composed of representatives of Knesset factions, with the coalition holding a majority, making its decisions highly political.
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