From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, March 6, 2019
Elections committee approves candidacy of Otzma Yehudit’s Michael Ben Ari
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleThe Central Elections Committee has — just barely — approved the candidacy of Otzma Yehudit’s Michael Ben Ari for the Knesset, rejecting petitions that claimed he should be banned for racist positions.
Fifteen members of the committee vote in favor of barring Ben Ari from running, while 16 vote against the action — this despite Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit’s recommendation to strike down the candidacy.
The committee also approves the technical union of Otzma Yehudit and Jewish Home in the Union of Right Wing Parties, a union that is expected to end after the election. Only one member votes against the move, 25 vote in favor and five abstain.
The battle over Otzma Yehudit’s candidates is expected to continue in the High Court of Justice.
The Times of Israel Community.