Supreme Court Allows Ra’am, Joint List and Ofer Cassif to Run in Election (Updated)
Updates
- October 2, 2026: Israel’s Supreme Court on Friday allowed Ra’am, the Joint List and MK Ofer Cassif to contest elections to the 26th Knesset, overturning Central Elections Committee disqualifications. The nine-justice panel unanimously reinstated both lists and approved Cassif’s candidacy by seven votes to two, with Justices David Mintz and Alex Stein dissenting. The majority found that the evidence did not meet the strict legal threshold required to disqualify Cassif or the lists. All nine justices condemned Cassif’s statements and actions; the dissenting judges considered his conduct sufficient to establish support for armed struggle against Israel.
- On October 2, the Supreme Court recorded Sami Abu Shehadeh’s withdrawal from the candidate list and closed his disqualification proceeding without deciding its merits.
Original report
Israel’s Central Elections Committee voted Wednesday to bar the Joint List from the upcoming Knesset election. The list brings together Hadash, Ta’al and Balad, while Ra’am is running separately. Earlier Wednesday, the committee also voted to bar Ra’am and Joint List candidates Ofer Cassif and Sami Abu Shehadeh, decisions reported as part of the same day’s disqualification hearings. The committee’s vote is not final: the Supreme Court will make the final determination on whether the list and candidates may contest the election.
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Commentary
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