Court: Arab parties can run in election

JERUSALEM, Jan. 21 (UPI) -- Israel's High Court of Justice, contradicting an elections committee, says two Arab parties have a right to run in next month's national elections.

The court overturned a ruling by Israel's Central Elections Committee, which last week banned the Arab parties United Arab List-Ta'al and Balad from running in February's parliamentary elections because they allegedly did not recognize Israel's right to exist, the Haaretz newspaper reported Wednesday.

"We have defeated fascism, but this battle is not quite complete, discrimination has become centralized. We will finish this operation in Israel on the day of elections," Member of Knesset Ahmed Tibi told reporters after the court ruling.

During the CEC session in which the ban was instituted, Arab faction delegates walked out of the hall before the vote, shouting, "This is a fascist, racist state," as CEC deputy chairman David Tal of the Kadima Party and the Arab delegates pushed each other.

A Knesset guard had to intervene and separate them, Haaretz said.