The Central Elections Committee overwhelmingly rejected a motion today (Thursday) to disqualify the “Religious Zionism-Zehut” joint list, led by Bezalel Smotrich and Moshe Feiglin, ruling that the list may run in the elections for the 26th Knesset. The decision passed with 21 votes against the motion and only three in favor—with no abstentions—coming just hours after the committee also rejected a bid to disqualify Itamar Ben Gvir’s “Otzma Yehudit” party, marking a highly successful day of deliberations for right-wing parties.
The motion to disqualify the joint Smotrich-Feiglin list was filed by the “Zulat” Institute; however, during the hearing, it became clear that the move lacked broad political support, and it was rejected by a wide margin of 21 votes to three. Earlier that day, “Otzma Yehudit” achieved a similar victory when motions filed against it by the Democrats party and the Zulat Institute were rejected by a vote of 19 against, ten in favor, and one abstention.
During the hearing regarding Otzma Yehudit, the representative of the Attorney General clarified that there was no evidentiary basis to justify disqualifying the list. The proceedings grew heated, however, after former MK Yael German compared the party to Nazism—a remark that triggered a furious backlash from Ben Gvir and MK Tally Gotliv, who accused her of trivializing the Holocaust.
The decisions to approve the candidacies of the two right-wing lists stand in stark contrast to the dramatic rulings made by the committee just a day earlier. During yesterday’s deliberations, the committee voted to disqualify the Arab parties Ra’am and the Joint List, as well as to personally disqualify MK Ofer Cassif and Balad Chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh. The contrast between the two days of hearings highlighted the political balance within the committee, which fully backed the right-wing lists while blocking the Arab lists.
Although the Central Elections Committee concluded this round of hearings by approving the two right-wing lists and disqualifying the Arab parties, the process governed by Section 7A of Basic Law: The Knesset does not end there. The committee’s decisions are subject to rigorous judicial review, and the issue of disqualifications and approvals is expected to reach the Supreme Court through petitions and appeals. Past election cycles demonstrate that Supreme Court justices frequently overturn the Elections Committee’s politically charged decisions; consequently, the final composition of the candidate lists for the 26th Knesset will only be determined by a High Court ruling.