Israeli election panel bars all Arab-majority parties from October elections

Israel's Central Elections Committee voted on Wednesday to bar all of the country's Arab-majority parties from the Oct. 27 elections, leaving no major Arab list currently eligible to run unless the Supreme Court overturns the decisions.

The committee also voted to disqualify the parties and lawmakers after petitions by Netanyahu's Likud party and far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's Jewish Power party. The petitions accused them of rejecting Israel's definition as a "Jewish and democratic" state, advocating a "state of all its citizens" and supporting armed struggle against Israel.

The parties and lawmakers deny supporting violence.  The decisions are not final and will have to be approved by the Supreme Court, which has overturned most such disqualifications in the past.