Tomorrow, Thursday 27 December 2012 at 9 a.m. Israeli Supreme Court Panel of Nine Justices to Hear and Decide on MK Haneen Zoabi's Elections Disqualification Case
(Jerusalem) Tomorrow, Thursday 27 December 2012, at 9 am the Israeli Supreme Court will hold a hearing on whether or not to uphold the Central Election Committee (CEC)'s decision to disqualify Member of Knesset (MK) Haneen Zoabi (NDA-Balad/Tajammoa’) from the upcoming elections. An expanded panel of nine Supreme Court justices will hear the case: Chief Justice Asher Grunis and Justices Edna Arbel, Salim Joubran, Esther Hayut, Hanan Melcer, Neal Handel, Miriam Naor, and Uzi Fogelman. The court must issue its decision no later than 30 December 2012.
The CEC decided to disqualify MK Zoabi from the elections, scheduled for 22 January 2013, at the end of a chaotic session on 19 December 2012. According to the Elections Law, if any single member of a political party is disqualified by the CEC, the decision automatically goes to the Supreme Court for approval.
MK Zoabi was disqualified for allegedly "supporting terror” and "negating the existence of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state." During the CEC session, Likud party member Ofir Akunis and others stressed that MK Zoabi’s participation in the Gaza Freedom Flotilla on board the Mavi Marmara in 2010 shows that she supports terrorist organizations, and that NDA-Balad’s platform of “a state for all its citizens” indicates that she opposes the definition of "Israel as a Jewish and democratic state".
Adalah argued on behalf of MK Zoabi that the supporters of her disqualification ignored the Attorney General's opinion not to disqualify her, as well as his decision not to indict her for participation on the flotilla. Further, they also ignored the findings of the Turkel Committee – the official government-appointed committee set up to investigate the events of the Freedom Flotilla – which also found no evidence that MK Zoabi had broken any laws. Adalah also added that, according to previous Supreme Court decisions, there is no legal basis or any evidence to disqualify her; the central issue of MK Zoabi's parliamentary activities, statements, and press interviews is the development of the Palestinian Arab minority in Israel, and especially of Palestinian Arab women.
Balad/Tajammoa’ held a press conference before the CEC session in which it announced that if MK Zoabi was disqualified, it would not run as a list and would boycott the elections.
Case Citation: Elections Confirmation 9255/12, The Central Elections Committee v. Haneen Zoabi
For more information:
Central Elections Committee Disqualifies MK Haneen Zoabi from Running in the Upcoming Israeli Elections, 19 December 2012
Contact: Salah Mohsen, Adalah’s Media Director, Mobile: 0525950922
