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Israeli court lifts election ban on Arab lawmaker, Jewish activist

Xinhua, February 19, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Israeli Supreme Court Wednesday overturned a decision by the central elections committee to ban a firebrand Arab-Israeli lawmaker and a far-right Jewish activist from running in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

The top court's ruling enables Arab lawmaker Haneed Zoabi and Jewish activist Baruch Marzel to stand in in the March 17 early elections.

The central elections committee voted last Thursday to disqualify the candidacy of Zoabi and Marzel in the elections.

Zoabi is a frequent and abrasive critic of the Israeli policy in the occupied Palestinian territories. She supports a one-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in which Jews and Arabs could have equal rights. She has been accused by opponents of inciting against Israel.

Zoabi was banned by the central elections body from participating in the 2013 elections, but the ban was later overruled by the Supreme Court.

Marzel, known for his anti-Arab statement, has been part of the outlawed Kach movement and is a candidate of the ultra-nationalist Yachad party.

The central elections body gave no reason for the disqualifications of both Zoabi and Merzel last week. Endit