Likud says it will request to ban Arab parties from running in elections

Likud announced on Sunday that it would request the Central Elections Committee (CEC) to ban Arab-led parties, Ra'am and the Joint List, from running in the October elections. Likud stated, "there is no place in the Knesset for those who harm IDF soldiers and are unable to say that Hamas and Hezbollah are terrorist organizations." The Joint List called this a "racist move" and asserted, "No attempt to silence us will work. When they try to disqualify us, we will multiply and break through." National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also petitioned to bar Ra'am, claiming it denies Israel's existence as a Jewish state. In response, the left-wing Democrats Party announced it would petition to ban Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit party for harming democracy and incitement to racism. While the CEC can approve such petitions, similar past decisions against Arab parties have been overturned by the High Court.