Israel’s highest court has banned a far-right Jewish supremacist politician from running in next month’s election because of his anti-Arab racism while installing an Arab party that had previously been barred from the vote.
The court found in favour of appellants who argued that Michael Ben-Ari of the Jewish Power party had displayed anti-Arab racism. That view was backed by Israel’s attorney-general.
Other members of Jewish Power, a small faction that is part of an ultra-nationalist list that last month forged an election alliance with Mr Netanyahu’s Likud party, remain eligible to run.
The Central Elections Committee, a monitoring body made up of delegates of parties in the current parliament, last month approved Ben-Ari’s candidacy while disqualifying Raam-Balad, a joint party list representing some of Israel’s 20 per cent Arab minority.
The Supreme Court rulings were anticipated but they offered Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who reached a deal to go into an alliance with Michael Ben-Ari and his Jewish Power party, another reason to claim victimhood at the hands of Israel’s judiciary.
He is currently subject to three corruption cases and is expected to be indicted by the country’s attorney general before the April 9 vote.