Channel 2 News online reported on Tuesday afternoon 21 Shevat that Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein opposes efforts to disqualify Knesset candidates Hanin Zoabi and Baruch Marzel. There are numerous requests on file with the Central Election Committee seeking to disqualify the two as well as political parties, as was reported by YWN-ISRAEL.
As was the case in the last election, the final decision will likely be made by the Supreme Court. Zoabi was disqualified by the Central Election Committee in the election for the 19th Knesset but the Supreme Court overturned the ruling on appeal.
The committee is scheduled to convene on Thursday, 23 Shevat and some of the decision are expected that same day. Whatever the decision is regarding Marzel and Zoabi, an appeal to the nation’s highest court is all but guaranteed.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
One should note that in the US during the Cold War, the American Communist Party was always allowed to run candidates for office.
But Israel is NOT really a western democracy, though at times it aspires to be one.
Equating Zoabi and Marzel is like equaiting Obama to Truman.
nowecant:
1. From the perspective of the Republicans, Obama and Truman are very similar (both are/were Democrats, and opponents in elections)
2. Ideologically, Zoabi and Marzel hold views that are an anathema to most of the Israeli ruling class. While both want to abolish the current zionist state (with its commitment to being a secular homeland for the ruling
” עם חופשי”). Marzel ideology in favor of a religiously oriented Jewish state is considered especially unacceptable, whereas Zoabi support for Arabs rights in a secular bi-national state is only marginally considered to be a problem).