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Israel's top court bans far-right candidate from election, allows Arab slate to run
Source: Washington Post
Israel’s top court bans far-right candidate from election, allows Arab slate to run
By Ruth Eglash March 17 at 5:03 PM
JERUSALEM — Israel’s Supreme Court on Sunday disqualified a far-right candidate from the April 9 national election and overturned a decision by the Central Election Committee to block a joint Arab slate and a candidate from a leftist alliance from the race.
Human rights groups and representatives of the Arab-led parties welcomed the court’s ruling rejecting last week’s vote by the election committee, a body made up representatives of each political faction in Israel’s parliament, the Knesset.
At the same time, Michael Ben Ari, leader of the far-right Otzma Yehudit faction, called the decision to prevent his candidacy anti-democratic.
“There is a legal junta here who wants to take over our lives,” Ben Ari said in a statement. “This is not democracy.”
Ben Ari accused Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit of scuttling his political plans. The country’s top lawyer had written a legal opinion that Ben Ari not be allowed to run, citing an incitement of racism.
-snip-
By Ruth Eglash March 17 at 5:03 PM
JERUSALEM — Israel’s Supreme Court on Sunday disqualified a far-right candidate from the April 9 national election and overturned a decision by the Central Election Committee to block a joint Arab slate and a candidate from a leftist alliance from the race.
Human rights groups and representatives of the Arab-led parties welcomed the court’s ruling rejecting last week’s vote by the election committee, a body made up representatives of each political faction in Israel’s parliament, the Knesset.
At the same time, Michael Ben Ari, leader of the far-right Otzma Yehudit faction, called the decision to prevent his candidacy anti-democratic.
“There is a legal junta here who wants to take over our lives,” Ben Ari said in a statement. “This is not democracy.”
Ben Ari accused Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit of scuttling his political plans. The country’s top lawyer had written a legal opinion that Ben Ari not be allowed to run, citing an incitement of racism.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/israels-top-court-bans-far-right-candidate-from-election-allows-arab-slate-to-run/2019/03/17/73050474-48e0-11e9-8cfc-2c5d0999c21e_story.html