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Israel’s Electoral Commission Excludes Arab Parties from October Elections

The Central Elections Committee of Israel has decided to exclude all Arab parties from voting in the legislative elections set for October 27, a measure awaiting confirmation from the Supreme Court.

24 September 2026Tagblick Newsdesk

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Archive photo: Israel’s Electoral Commission Excludes Arab Parties from October Elections — Archive photoPhoto: PSB Nacional 40 · Flickr · BY

The Central Elections Committee of Israel voted to exclude all Arab parties from the upcoming legislative elections scheduled for October 27. Among the disqualified parties are Hadash-Taal and Ra’am, as well as two independent Arab candidates.

The decision was made on Wednesday and now requires validation from the Supreme Court of Israel. The Supreme Court has reviewed similar decisions in the past, which raises uncertainty about the final confirmation of the disqualification.

Most members of the Electoral Commission, which is predominantly composed of representatives from Benjamin Netanyahu's government, supported the measure against the Arab political formations. Election authorities emphasized that the exclusion was based on criteria that have not been publicly specified.

The move has been widely discussed in the media, with various sources pointing out that this action could leave the Arab population of Israel without significant representation in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament.

On the other hand, the decision does not affect far-right parties, such as those led by Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, which will be able to participate in the elections. This raises questions about the fairness of the electoral process and the representation of minorities.

The exclusion of Arab parties occurs in a tense political context, and the final decision regarding its validity still depends on the Supreme Court, which is expected to rule on the matter in the coming days.

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