Arab Balad MK Haneen Zoabi, Baruch Marzel barred from election

The decisions goes to the High Court of Justice for endorsement. The Central Elections Committee voted 27:6 to disqualify Haneen Zoabi, Knesset Member of the Arab Balad list, from running for re-election on March 17. The petition was filed by the right-of-center Yisrael Beitenu party. She was accused of inciting and supporting armed conflict against Israel in rhetoric and actions that crossed the line of free speech.  For instance, she legitimized the kidnap and murder of three Israeli teens last summer, denying this was an act of terrorism. In 2010, the Arab lawmaker was on board the Turkish Mavi Marmara ship heading to break the blockade on the Gaza Strip, when Turkish IHH terrorists attacked Israeli soldiers. Zoabi has publicly called on the Palestinian “resistance” to put Israel under siege.
The vote to bar Baruch Marzel was 17 for and 16 against. The grounds offered for disqualifying him were that he was spokesman for the Kach organization, which was founded by the late Rabbi Meir Kahane and banned in Israel some years ago on the charge of propagating hate for Arabs.