The Communist Party of Israel (Maki) has intensified its political activity ahead of the October 27 Knesset elections, focusing particularly on the Joint List's election campaign, the defense of Hadash MK and Communist Party member Ofer Cassif, and opposition to attempts to exclude the list from the elections.
Communist Party of Israel intensifies election campaign
On October 6, the Joint List launched its Hebrew-language election campaign at an event in south Tel Aviv. The campaign is being conducted under the slogan “Leftists – come home!”
According to Zo Khadarek, there was participation of the heads of the factions that make up the list – Hadash, Ta'al and Balad – and a large audience of activists, supporters and journalists. The chairman of the list, Prof. Yosef Jabareen, presented the joint list as a political alternative to Netanyahu's path: "It's either Yamin and Benjamin, or peace between Israel and Palestine." Jabareen emphasized that "a large and strong joint list will take care of all the country's Jewish and Arab citizens," and added: "We call on the entire public, Arabs and Jews: Come to us. Let's build together a house of honor, a house of equality, a house of hope."
Ta'al Chairman, MK Ahmed Tibi, said in his speech: "We will achieve ten mandates and send this evil government home. The Joint List is the home of all liberal and democratic people, Jews and Arabs, who are doing everything to oppose the war." Tibi attacked the decision of the "Democrats" party to support the disqualification of Sami Abu Shehadeh from running in the elections: "We are not joining Ben Gvir in order to disqualify an Arab leader. This was more than a serious mistake. There is a moral fall here ."
Tibi also claimed that the expected voter turnout in Arab society is significantly higher than that measured in the corresponding period before the previous elections. According to him, in the list polls it is currently at about 60%-61%, compared to 47% at the same point in time in the previous election campaign, and the goal is to reach about 70% . According to him, if the voter turnout in Arab society reaches 70%, one or more parties in the right-wing bloc may not pass the threshold . " The Joint List will decide these elections," he added.
Balad chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh participated in the event after withdrawing his candidacy due to the risk of its disqualification by the Supreme Court. According to him, the attempts to disqualify the list and its members indicate a fear of the power of the Arab public: "Netanyahu is afraid of the Arab voice. And I want to say here in front of everyone: Netanyahu is right. He should be afraid of the Arab voice! Because only we present a real alternative."
According to Abu Shehadeh, the two major blocs in Israeli politics do not differ from each other in their essential positions. According to him, the Joint List is a "third political current," based on ending the occupation, opposition to war, equality, and Jewish-Arab partnership. "There is another option, an option to live in peace, an option to live without supremacy. This option is the Joint List. It is possible to build a state based on justice and equality for both peoples," said Abu Shehadeh .
In turn, MK Ofer Cassif emphasized: "The persecution of the Arab-Palestinian minority and of the Jewish democratic forces, of anyone who raises a different voice, is a policy. The only one that offers a real alternative to this criminal policy is the Joint List. Only the Joint List stands against this murky wave of fascism and racism. I call from here to the public: Leftists, go home! Leftists, come home – to the Joint List."
Dr. Maha Karkabi-Sabah, the seventh-place candidate on the list, also addressed the election committee's decision to disqualify Balad chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh: "Someone prepared the ground for this disqualification to occur. The preparation began with the coup d'Ă©tat, a few years ago, with the dramatic changes that occurred in the judicial system." "All of this passed as if it were the way of the world," said Karkabi-Sabah, adding a stinging note: "But the most surprising preparation was actually from someone who calls himself a 'democrat.'"
At the press conference held at the end of the event, the list's chairman, Jabareen, said that immediately after the elections it would be possible to pass a law that prevents those accused of crimes from forming a government, "with our support and even before forming a government." MK Tibi added that immediately after the elections, the joint party would support an attempt to remove Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana from his position and replace him with another candidate. Tibi also said in response to a question that the list would also support the establishment of a state investigation committee to examine the failures that led to the events of October 7.
The campaign follows a recent legal battle over the participation of the Joint List and its candidates in the elections. Maki strongly opposed efforts to disqualify the list and Cassif. On October 1, around 100 activists demonstrated outside the Supreme Court during a hearing on petitions seeking to prevent the Joint List and Cassif from standing. Cassif addressed the demonstrators and said that the political struggle for an Israeli-Palestinian future would continue.
The Supreme Court subsequently allowed both the Joint List and Ofer Cassif to participate in the elections. Maki has presented the proceedings as part of a broader struggle over the political representation of Arab citizens and Jewish-Arab left-wing forces.