CP of Israel-backed Joint List to run in elections in Israel after overturn of decision

After the hearing on Thursday 2 October, the Supreme Court of Israel decided to allow MK Ofer Cassif, along with the Joint List and the United List, to run in the upcoming Knesset elections, in a decision overturning the Central Elections Committee’s decision to disqualify them. Joint List is a coalition established by Hadash (The Democratic Front for Peace and Equality formed by the Communist Party of Israel), Taal and Balad. 

Regarding Ofer Cassif, the court decision indicated that all the judges on the panel expressed reservations about his statements and actions, describing them as "reprehensible and disgusting," but this did not prevent him from running in the elections.

Regarding the Joint List and United List, the court said that the materials submitted to it did not meet the criteria set by previous judicial rulings to justify the exclusion of an electoral list.

Joint List's response

The Supreme Court's decision to overturn the disqualification of the Joint List and the United Arab List, and to allow MK Ofer Cassif to run in the elections, thwarted a political attempt to silence the Arab voice and deprive our people of their right to political representation. However, what transpired in the case of the head of the National Democratic Assembly, Sami Abu Shehadeh, sends a serious and unmistakable message to the entirety of Arab political action within Israel.

What happened yesterday was a de facto dismissal without a ruling and without any legal justification; it contradicts the standards established by the court itself. The Supreme Court succumbed to the fascist right and its incitement campaign in Sami's case, and this double standard proves that what transpired was a political trial.

It must be emphasized here that the decision to withdraw the candidacy was only taken after the court revealed its clear bias. This does not mean retreat or submission, nor does it absolve the Supreme Court of the responsibility of bearing this historical injustice. Rather, it missed the opportunity for the fascist right, which had bet on issuing a decision that would have been used as a future legal basis to pursue all our political work more easily.

The Joint List emphasized that Sami Abu Shehadeh suffered a grave injustice in this case, and that the majority court's decision to disqualify him for a political article constitutes a highly dangerous development. This decision reflects the extent of the transformation that has occurred in Israel and its institutions in recent years, including the Supreme Court, and the widening scope of exclusion, racism, and the delegitimization of the Arab presence—politically, socially, and in all aspects of life.

The Joint List emphasized that the double standards applied in Abu Shehadeh's case cannot be separated from the general political climate that targets Arab representation and constantly pushes to narrow the space for legitimate political action. What happened to Abu Shehadeh is not a personal matter, but rather a question concerning the limits of freedom of expression and the right of an entire community to choose its representatives and exercise its political role without the constant threat of exclusion.

The Joint List expressed its respect and appreciation for the decision of the National Democratic Assembly and Sami Abu Shehadeh, and its pride in the great role that Abu Shehadeh played in unifying efforts and strengthening joint action, stressing that he enjoys widespread respect and appreciation among the components of the Joint List and its partners, and that his exclusion from candidacy will not erase his role and status, nor his great contribution to building unity, joint political action, and the struggle for our rights and our just cause.

Our response to attempts at exclusion will not be retreat, but rather a firm commitment to our right to be present, to organize, to be represented, and to participate politically. Our common strength lies in our ability to work together, and our response on October 27th will be the broadest possible participation and political unity in the face of racism, exclusion, and erasure, and in order to remove those who sought to erase us and to change the worst government against our people and our masses.

The answer is to fill the boxes with "W D M" cards.