Israeli online daily, Haaretz, reported on Wednesday that the Israeli Supreme Court issued a ruling voiding a order barring Arab parties in Israel from participating in the parliamentary elections which will be held in Israeli next month.
The ruling was made after several Arab political leaders filed an appeal against the ban.
Arab member of Knesset, Ahmad Tibi, said that this decision is “a defeat to fascism”, and added that discrimination is deeply rooted in Israel, therefore the “battle is not quite finished”, Haaretz reported.
The United Arab List and the Balad parties were banned from participating in the elections after the Central Elections Committee issued an order last week in this regard.
Arab parties objected against the ruling and described its as a form of fascism.
The Central Elections Committee accused Arab parties of “incitement, supporting terrorist groups and of refusing to recognize Israel”, Haaretz said. Arab parties also strongly apposed the Israeli offensive against the Gaza Strip.
The ultra-Orthodox parties, Yisrael Beiteinu and the National Union-National Religious Party were the two parties that filed the original appeal to bar Arab parties from participating in the elections.
Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of the Yisrael Beitenu Party, described the Supreme Court decision as “unfortunate” and said that the court did not establish a boundary to punish “disloyal Arab members of Knesset”.
Lieberman added that in the next Knesset, religious parties will push for a law barring citizenship to some “disloyal Arab citizens”.
Lieberman is well known for his extreme views against the Arabs and Palestinians as he repeatedly called massive deportation and transfer of Arabs and Palestinians into neighboring Arab countries.
Ten out of 120 Knesset members are Arabs, and the Arab population in Israel is nearly 20%.