High Court rejects Democrats' petition: Otzma Yehudit will run in elections

The High Court of Justice rejected the Democrats' petition to disqualify the Otzma Yehudit party, Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, and MK Tali Gottlieb from running in the elections for the 26th Knesset. The justices ruled that the petitioners did not meet the required burden of proof, emphasizing the delay and failure to exhaust the procedure prescribed in the Elections Law.

The High Court of Justice rejected the Democrats' petition, which sought to disqualify the Otzma Yehudit party, Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, and MK Tali Gottlieb from running in the elections for the 26th Knesset. In their ruling, the justices determined that the petitioners did not meet the required burden of proof, highlighting two main reasons: the delay in filing the petition and the failure to exhaust the procedure prescribed in the Elections Law. The justices cited the precedent that ordinary law cannot limit the High Court's authority anchored in Basic Law: The Judiciary, but imposes an additional burden on petitioners to convince the court to hear the case despite bypassing the standard appeal route. It was also noted that the petitioners did not approach the Attorney General, who has the right to appeal under the law. The decision was made against the backdrop of the tight schedule for approving lists and candidates ahead of the elections.