Israeli Supreme Court overturns election ban on Arab parties ahead of October vote

Supreme Court ruling on party bans

The Supreme Court of Israel unanimously overturned a ruling by the Central Elections Committee on Friday, 2 October 2026, granting Arab political alliances permission to contest the upcoming Knesset elections. The decision allows the Islamist Ra'am party and the Joint List coalition, which brings together Hadash, Ta'al, and Balad, to appear on the ballot for the 27 October vote. All nine presiding judges rejected the electoral committee's disqualification order, finding that the evidence presented did not meet the legal threshold established under Article 7A of the Basic Law. That constitutional provision bars parties or candidates that deny the existence of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state or support armed struggle by an enemy state or terrorist organisation.

The Central Elections Committee, a politically appointed body containing representatives of sitting Knesset parties, had voted on 23 September 2026 to bar both Arab slates following petitions backed by the ruling right-wing coalition. In its written judgment, the court noted that the submitted documentation was insufficient to justify removing the lists from the democratic process. Alongside the slates, the court reviewed individual challenges against lawmakers. Left-wing lawmaker Ofer Cassif, a Jewish member of the Hadash faction who has actively criticized the war in Gaza, was cleared to run by a 7 to 2 majority, with the bench distancing itself from his statements while affirming his legal eligibility.

Candidate disputes and withdrawal

While the court preserved the lists, Balad party leader Sami Abu Shehadeh withdrew his candidacy following a court hearing on Thursday, 1 October 2026. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir had challenged Abu Shehadeh over an article published on 8 October 2023, in which the politician described the Hamas-led attacks as an important historical event. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara backed the disqualification petition, prompting the judges to suggest a voluntary withdrawal to prevent a formal legal ban. Abu Shehadeh, a historian from Jaffa who served in parliament from 2019 to 2022, accepted the recommendation to shield the Joint List alliance from legal complications, though he denied backing armed struggle.

Abu Shehadeh denounced the proceedings as political persecution designed to suppress Arab representation:

The space for political activity and freedom of speech for the Arab-Palestinian minority in Israel is shrinking.

Campaign infractions and reactions

In a parallel decision, the Central Elections Committee levied a fine of 10,000 shekels (approximately $3,250) against National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for violating election campaign rules. The penalty followed a video posted on social platform X in which Ben-Gvir confronted imprisoned Hamas figure Hassan Salameh and threatened him with execution. The committee ordered the immediate deletion of the recording, determining that it constituted prohibited election propaganda rather than ordinary ministerial activity.

Following the Supreme Court verdict, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized the reinstatement of the Arab lists on social media, writing that only his Likud party would stop them in the upcoming contest.

Only the Likud will stop them. Either the right-wing camp - or Palestine!

Balance of power for the 26th Knesset

The ruling restores ballot access for minority parties representing Arab citizens, who account for roughly 20% of the Israeli population. Opinion polls for the 27 October election indicate that neither Netanyahu's right-wing bloc nor the opposition holds a clear majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Ra'am, led by Mansour Abbas, previously entered government under the Bennett-Lapid coalition in 2021 and has added former Jewish lawmaker and police official Yoav Segalovitz to its list for this cycle. The outcome preserves the mathematical potential for Arab factions to decide the governing majority following the vote.