After years of open treason and incitement, two main Arab parties in Israel have been disqualified from coming elections
Arab parties disqualified from elections
Central Elections Committee determines Balad, United Arab List-Ta’al parties ineligible to run in February 2009, on grounds that they don’t recognize the state and call for armed conflict against it
The party lists for the Arab parties Balad and United Arab List-Ta’al have been disqualified from running in Israel’s upcoming elections in February, the country’s Central Elections Committee ruled Monday, following a heated meeting on Monday.
Balad was disqualified by a vote of 26 to three, with one abstention, while 21 committee members voted in favor of disqualifying the United Arab List-Ta’al, with eight members voting against and two members abstaining. The Central Elections Committee is comprised of members of all party factions.
During the meeting, MK Ahmad Tibi (UAL-Ta’al) addressed the ongoing operation in Gaza, saying, “we object to targeting civilians and you are committing genocide in Gaza. You’re murdering children.”
“We thought you were a friend of Israel and therefore we didn’t question your party list. Where were you for the past eight years when Sderot was under attack?” responded MK David Rotem (Yisrael Beiteinu).
Representatives of the Arab parties walked out of the committee meeting when a vote in favor of their disqualification appeared imminent. Shortly afterwards, there was a heated confrontation between Tibi, along with Balad Chairman Jamal Zahalka on one side, and MK David Tal (Kadima).
“You drink Palestinian blood. You are a racist,” Zahalka said to Tal. “You went to war as an elections campaign strategy,” added Tibi. “Every vote for Kadima is a bullet in the chest of a Palestinian child.