Elections Committee Disqualifies MK Ofer Cassif 19-5

The Central Elections Committee voted Wednesday to disqualify MK Ofer Cassif from running in the 26th Knesset elections, approving Likud's petition by a decisive margin of 19 in favor, 5 against, and 2 abstentions.

Likud filed the disqualification request under Basic Law: The Knesset, Section 7A(a)(1), which bars candidates who deny Israel's existence as a Jewish and democratic state. The petition against Cassif is part of a wave of disqualification requests filed ahead of the elections targeting various parties and individual candidates.

Under Israeli law, the committee's decision must now be reviewed by the High Court of Justice. Only after the court's approval will the disqualification take effect. The committee's full decision, including its reasoning, is expected to be published on the Central Elections Committee's website.

Justice Solberg (Photo: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The disqualification comes amid a flurry of petitions submitted to the Elections Committee in recent weeks. Among them: Otzma Yehudit against the Democrats, the Democrats against Otzma Yehudit, Likud against Ra'am and the Joint List, along with additional requests targeting specific candidates.

In Cassif's case, unlike other disqualification petitions where the Attorney General and State Attorney determined there was no legal basis for disqualification, no final position for or against was presented. Nevertheless, the committee plenary approved the request by a significant majority.

Parallel to the deliberations on Cassif, the committee also heard other disqualification petitions. Among them was Jewish Power's request to disqualify candidate Sami Abu Shahadeh, regarding whom the Attorney General and State Attorney ruled that the Elections Committee should seriously consider the disqualification request, particularly in light of an article he published on October 8, 2023.

Elections for the 26th Knesset are expected to take place in approximately one month, with recent polls showing a tight race between Likud and the Yashar party led by Gadi Eisenkot. According to a Channel 12 poll released Tuesday evening, Yashar receives 23 seats, Likud 20, and Yachad under Naftali Bennett 13 seats.