Netanyahu backs repeal of ban on racists in Knesset, vows to replace legislation

Incoming prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he backs a provision to strike down a longstanding law that says individuals who support terror and racism cannot run for Knesset.

A statement from Likud claims that the current law “did not prevent racists and terror supporters from running for Knesset.”

The statement adds that, “therefore Netanyahu intends to cancel that clause and legislate a new law to fight racism and terror that will ensure equal and effective enforcement for both Jews and Arabs.”

The current clause in question, 7A, does not differentiate between Jews and Arabs in any manner, and simply states that no Knesset candidate can: deny the existence of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state; incite to violence; or support an enemy state or a terrorist group or any armed struggle against the state.

Very few individuals have been barred from running for the Knesset under the current law. While the Central Elections Commission votes often to invalidate the candidacy of many politicians, most are later approved to run after an appeal to the Supreme Court.

Ahead of the most recent election, the Arab nationalist Balad party was barred by the CEC, but allowed by the High Court.

The High Court has on rare occasion allowed such bans to stand: the extremist far-right Kahane party was barred in the 1980s, and far-right politicians Baruch Marzel and Benzi Gopstein were banned in 2019.