Why Israel banned Arab parties ahead of polls

Israel’s Central Elections Committee (CEC), on Wednesday (September 23, 2026), voted to bar the country’s main Arab parties from contesting next month’s elections to Israel’s parliament, the Knesset. There have been a series of attempts for decades to disqualify Arab parties from contesting elections, and the latest move comes at a time when these parties have a chance to play a crucial role in the upcoming government.