Will they be disqualified from running for the Knesset? Great vigilance in the political system ahead of the High Court’s decision on the issue of the disqualification of MK Amichai Shikli by the Central Election Commission and the disqualification of the Balad party from running in the Knesset elections. The decision on both issues is scheduled to be made today (Sunday).
The Central Election Commission disqualified Bald from running in the Knesset elections
The debate on the disqualification of Amichai Shikli has ended; President Hayut: “The case is not simple”
As you may recall, last Thursday the Supreme Court discussed the Likud party’s appeal against Shikli’s disqualification by the Central Election Commission, which claimed that the right-wing party did not split in accordance with the law. Earlier, the Meretz party withdrew the petition against the inclusion of MK Idit Silman on the Likud list for the Knesset.
As for Balad, in the appeal filed by the left-wing organization Adalah, it was claimed that the party’s request for disqualification was lacking in evidence, most of which had already been discussed in the past by the Supreme Court, which did not justify its disqualification. Balad was disqualified by the election committee by a majority of nine members (representatives of the state camp, Yisrael Beitenu, Derech Eretz and Right) against five who opposed (representatives of Meretz, the Joint List and Ra’am). All committee members who represent the right-wing parties did not participate in the discussion and vote, as well as representatives of Yesh Atid.
In the past, the High Court of Justice did not disqualify Balad’s Knesset members when they were part of the joint list, this time Balad, led by MK Sami Abu Shahada, is running for the Knesset independently. According to the polls, Balad does not pass the percentage of the block, and the High Court’s decision on the matter will have an impact that may decide the fight between the bloc led by Prime Minister Yair Lapid and the bloc led by opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu.
The Lapid bloc hopes that Balad will be disqualified, and thus its potential voters in the Arab sector will vote for Ram, which is already a member of the coalition under Lapid, or for the joint list led by Ayman Odeh and Ahmed Tibi. On the other hand, the Netanyahu bloc hopes that Balad will not be disqualified, and in the event that it does not pass the threshold – it will burn votes for the two parties facing it for the votes of the voters in the Arab sector. Officials in the political system estimated in a conversation with “Maariv” that the High Court of Justice will not disqualify Bel “D.
As for Shiki, it is not clear how the supreme judges will decide. During the debate on Thursday, President Esther Hayut stated on the issue: “The law establishes arrangements when a MK thinks he cannot cooperate with the faction. He can split or can resign. The law does not allow what MK Shikli did.”
On the other hand, Knesset legal advisor Sagit Afik claimed that Shiki should be allowed to compete.
Likud chairman Binyamin Netanyahu has already announced that if his candidacy is rejected, he will appoint him as a minister if the Likud forms the next government. From a purely political point of view, the disqualification of Shikli will serve the Likud campaign. While outside the Likud they stand behind Shikli, in Likud chambers there are quite a few members on the list who will not shed a tear if his candidacy is rejected, because in such a case they will move up one place on the list at his expense.