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Israeli Supreme Court Disqualifies Right-Wing Politicians From Elections

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By: Arye Green

The Supreme Court on Sunday disqualified Bentzi Gopstein and Baruch Marzel of the Otzma Yehudit party from running in the upcoming parliamentary elections this September. The court, however, ruled not to exclude another party member, Itamar Ben-Gvir and the party itself from running.

The legal grounds for disqualification are based on an Israeli law which disqualifies people from running for parliament based on certain actions or statements. If a candidate rejects the existence of Israel as a Jewish democratic state, takes part in racial incitement or supports violence against the state of Israel, he can be disqualified.

The court did not disqualify the Joint List party; the Arab party running for Knesset, which many have argued has had a comparable legal justification for disqualification under Israeli law, due to their support of terror organizations and activists.

The court ruling came after the Central Elections Committee voted against banning the party over its alleged racism.

The appeal to ban Otzma Yehudit from the elections was filed by the Reform Movement and the Blue and White, Democratic Union and Labor parties.

A similar motion submitted in March ahead of the April elections against Otzma Yehudit member Michael Ben Ari was voted down by the Elections Committee but was then overturned by the High Court of Justice.

The High Court of Justice disqualified Ben Ari after being accused of Anti-Arab racism.

Supreme Court President Esther Hayut justified the court’s decision on dozens of quotes made by Gopstein, which proved that he “systematically incites racism against the Arab public.”

Regarding Marzel, the court ruled against him based on repeated incitement of racism. Despite his regret of the statements he made, the court rules that he had previously regretted similar remarks yet went on to repeat similar statements, and therefore ruled to ban him from running.

Regarding his disqualification, Gopstein told TPS that he finds it appalling that “In Israel, battling assimilation is considered racism. The state of Israel invests millions fighting assimilation abroad, yet in Israel, whoever does the same is considered racist.” He added that “there is no doubt the law of return would not pass today with this Supreme Court.”

 (TPS)

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