Decision based on 1,000-page dossier linking party to terror groups; Attorney General opposed despite evidence; Supreme Court expected to overturn
The Knesset's Central Elections Committee voted Wednesday to disqualify the Ra'am party from running in the upcoming elections. The decision passed by a margin of 18 to 5.
The petition was filed by the Bereaved Families Forum and represented by attorney Yitzhak Bam. It was supported by a comprehensive research report compiled by the forum's research division, spanning over 1,000 pages documenting serious connections between Ra'am and organizations and entities linked to terrorism.
The Bereaved Families Forum, which filed the petition, issued a statement following the vote: "Today the Elections Committee accepted our petition and established what should be obvious: anyone who supports terror or is connected to terror elements cannot sit in Israel's Knesset."
The forum sharply criticized the position taken by the Attorney General. "The Attorney General's position is a disgrace," the statement read. "Even after the investigation directly linked the organizations to terror elements, contrary to her previous opinion, she continues trying to legitimize Ra'am."
The forum called on the Supreme Court to uphold the Elections Committee's decision and approve Ra'am's disqualification. "The Knesset is not a safe haven for terror supporters. The State of Israel must choose life," the statement declared.
Ra'am's disqualification comes after the committee also disqualified candidates Sami Abu Shehadeh and Ofer Cassif. However, the matter is expected to reach the Supreme Court, which based on precedent from previous election cycles is likely to overturn some or all of the disqualification decisions.
The decision follows several weeks in which multiple disqualification petitions were submitted to the Elections Committee. Among the requests filed: Otzma Yehudit against the Democrats, the Democrats against Otzma Yehudit, Likud against Ra'am and the Joint List, and additional petitions against specific candidates.
The petitions against Ra'am were submitted by Likud, Otzma Yehudit and the "Choosing Life" forum, based on allegations of support for armed struggle and denial of Israel's character as a Jewish and democratic state.
According to legal procedure, the Central Elections Committee's decision will now be forwarded to the Supreme Court for approval.
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