Israel’s Central Elections Committee rejected motions to prevent haredi and ultra-nationalist political parties from running in next month’s elections.

The committee voted unanimously to allow the haredi Orthodox Shas and United Torah Judaism parties to run in the election, dismissing petitions to bar them from running for excluding women.

The committee also voted 17 to 3 with two abstentions to allow the ultra-nationalist Strong Israel Party, which was challenged for allegedly rejecting Israel as a democratic state and for inciting hatred, to run in the Jan. 22 elections. The party was founded by hardline lawmakers Michael Ben-Ari and Aryeh Eldad.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

The decisions came a day after the committee voted not to disqualify two Arab political parties, Balad and the United Arab List-Ta’al, from running in the election, but voted to disqualify Arab lawmaker Hanin Zoabi, who participated in the May 2010 flotilla to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza.

Zoabi’s disqualification will automatically be appealed to Israel’s Supreme Court.

The only disqualification of a party ever upheld by Israel’s Supreme Court was Rabbi Meir Kahane’s Kach Party in 1988.

Article 7A of Israel’s Basic Law says that: “A candidates’ list shall not participate in elections to the Knesset if its objects or actions, expressly or by implication, include one of the following: (1) negation of the existence of the State of Israel as the state of the Jewish people; (2) negation of the democratic character of the State; (3) incitement to racism.”

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount