Israel’s highest court has disqualified Baruch Marzel and Benzi Gopstein from running for Knesset in the upcoming national elections on September 17.
However, the party they represent, Otzma Yehudit, will remain eligible for voters to send to Israel’s Parliament, albeit through the representation of other lawmakers.
“The High Court has again proved to be a branch of [leftist] Meretz,” Gopstein responded in a statement. Marzel added that “Reform organizations and left-wing parties united against us, understanding that we will fight for a Jewish state and advance the values of Torah in the Knesset. “
A statement from the Otzma Yehudit party likewise said, “Again it turns out that protection of a minority, the value of equality and the right to a choice is reserved only for the Arab members of the Knesset who hate Israel and support terror. It is the theater of the absurd in its incarnation and as in [Michael] Ben Ari’s disqualification, the High Court judges do not miss the opportunity to prove how detached they are from the public.”
Yesh Atid party leader Yair Lapid, who co-leads the Blue and White list, called the decision a “milestone,” saying in a statement, “The Supreme Court’s decision to disqualify Marzel and Gopstein is a milestone in building the Israeli Knesset on a strong foundation of unity without extremism and racism. Our victory in the petition is the victory of unity over schism and split.”