Israel’s left-wing Democrats Party filed a request on Monday with the Central Elections Committee to disqualify the slate of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit Party, alleging that the faction denies Israel’s existence as a democratic state and incites racism.
The petition also names seven Otzma Yehudit candidates, including Ben-Gvir, seeking to disqualify them individually from running in the Oct. 27 general election.
The allegations refer to two provisions of Basic Law: The Knesset—Sections 7A(a)(1) and 7A(a)(2). The first establishes denial of the existence of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state as grounds for disqualification, while the second concerns incitement to racism.
A third provision, Section 7A(a)(3), concerns “support for armed struggle, by a hostile state or a terrorist organization, against the State of Israel.”
Hebrew-language outlet Davar quoted Democrats Director-General Omer Luvaton Granot as saying, “A democracy that wishes to survive must defend itself against anti-democratic forces that seek to use the tools it provides them to destroy it from within. As proud defenders of democracy who carry the Israeli flag as a Jewish and democratic state, we will not allow them to do so.”
Ben-Gvir responded on X, lashing out in Hebrew at the petitioners, led by Democrats Party leader Maj. Gen. (res.) Yair Golan.
“The Democrats Party is an antisemitic, anti-Israel party,” the minister wrote. “At its head stands a man who said that [Israel Defense Forces] soldiers kill babies as a hobby, members of this party led the refusal to serve in the IDF on the eve of [the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre], provided legal representation to terrorists, and just today endorsed the antisemitic incitement film against the IDF.”
Ben-Gvir was referring to controversial statements previously made by Golan and to “NAZA,” a film accusing Israeli troops of committing war crimes in Gaza.
“The fact that such a party is a member of the Knesset is a mark of shame for the State of Israel,” he added.
שמעתי שיאיר מזהה התהליכים גולן רוצה לפסול אותי מלרוץ לכנסת.
— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) September 14, 2026
רק מזכיר: מפלגת הדמוקרטים היא מפלגה אנטישמית אנטי ישראלית. בראשה עומד אדם שאמר שחיילי צה״ל הורגים תינוקות כתחביב, חברי המפלגה הזו הובילו את הסרבנות לצה״ל ערב ה-7.10, העניקו ייצוג משפטי למחבלים, ורק היום גיבו את סרט…
Otzma Yehudit: Democrats undermine democracy
Requests to disqualify party lists or individual candidates may be submitted to the Central Elections Committee until 10 p.m. Israel time on Tuesday.
The committee voted to disqualify the Arab Balad Party from running in the 2022 election, as well as lawmaker Ofer Cassif of the predominantly Arab Hadash Party. However, Israel’s Supreme Court overturned the decisions. Balad ultimately failed to receive enough votes to cross the 3.25% electoral threshold and enter the Knesset.
Right-wing activists Baruch Marzel and Ben-Zion Gopstein, who ran on behalf of Otzma Yehudit in 2019, were the last candidates to be disqualified from running by the Supreme Court.
The Democrats were not the only party on Monday to seek disqualifications.
Otzma Yehudit filed a petition against the Democrats Party, accusing it of inciting racism against the ultra-Orthodox population and Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria.
The petition also alleges that the Democrats undermine the existence of Israel as a democratic state, citing what Otzma Yehudit describes as attempts to shut down Channel 14 and plans to promote censorship of social media under a future government.
In addition, Otzma Yehudit and Likud filed separate requests to disqualify the Ra’am Party (United Arab List), led by Knesset member Mansour Abbas, alleging that the faction supports Hamas and denies the existence of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.
In all, petitions against five party lists were submitted to the Central Elections Committee, which is expected to convene in the coming days to rule on the requests.
