On Wednesday, a debate was held on the appeal of Otzma Yehudit leaders Michael Ben-Ari and Itamar Ben-Givir against the decision of the Central Elections Committee not to disqualify the Hadash-Ta’al list, the party of MK Ahmad Tibi and MK Ayman Odeh from running for the 21st Knesset. The decision will be made this past Sunday.

The petition against them was filed by the head of Otzma Yehudit, and the Likud, the New Right and the Bayit Yehudi joined the appeal. At first Ben-Givir approached the judges and urged them to prevent them from running for Knesset.

Regarding the request for disqualification, he said: “If it looks like supporting a terrorist organization, it is support for a terrorist organization,” claimed attorney Ben Givir, who represents the list. “They submitted very meager responses, based on the responses submitted by the Hadash-Ta’al members.”

He then presented to the court the fact that MK Saadi refused to condemn the murders of the Henkin family in 2015, the couple was shot to death in a murderous terror attack as their horrified four children were in shock in the vehicle. At the time of the attack, the children were 9,7,4, and 4-month.

Ben-Givir Quotes MK Odeh as saying, “I cannot stand against harming a [IDF] soldier. I am not telling the Palestinian people how to resist the occupation, but I support every struggle against the occupation,” he said.

They attacked the representatives of the Attorney General for not asking for explanations for his statements that he cannot condemn the harming of soldiers. He quotes Ayman Odeh, who attended a conference that was closed by a police order because he was organized by terrorist organizations.

Regarding Ahmed Tibi, Ben-Givir explained he negates the Jewish character of the state.

“I think that this is the clear case in which the candidates should be disqualified,” declared Ben-Givir. I think that if your honor does not prevent the participation of these candidates in the Knesset, the Israeli public is in danger, Israeli democracy is in danger, we are going through a terrorist attack after murder, murder after murder. I simply can’t be that elected officials support murder.”

Following the hearing the court stated, “The attempts of the Kahanists to disqualify an Arab-Jewish list whose motto challenges the values of peace, equality and democracy are no less ridiculous, as the Attorney General has already determined, there is no reason to disqualify the list. Those who do not have to be in the Knesset are dark racists who support racialism, ethnic cleansing and transfer.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)