Israel’s election panel blocks Arab parties, defying legal objections
Israel’s Central Elections Committee voted 18-5 to disqualify the Ra'am and Joint List parties from the October 27 parliamentary election, despite opposition from the Attorney-General’s office. The decision, driven by petitions from Netanyahu’s coalition, is expected to be appealed to the Supreme Court, which has previously overturned similar bans. The move aims to exclude Arab representation in a closely contested election where neither major bloc currently holds a majority.