Bernie Sanders Calls For End To US Military Aid To Israel After Arab Party Ban

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SANDERS DEMANDS END TO US MILITARY AID

US Senator Bernie Sanders has called for an end to American military aid to Israel after the country's Central Elections Committee voted to disqualify two major Arab-led political lists from next month's parliamentary election.
Sanders criticised the decision in a post on X, arguing that Palestinian citizens of Israel, who make up about one-fifth of the country's population, could lose their main political representation in the Knesset if the disqualifications are upheld.
“If it wasn’t already clear, Netanyahu and his far-right allies want an Israel where Palestinian citizens, 20% of the population, have no voice at all,” Sanders said.
His comments add to growing criticism in the United States over Washington's military and political relationship with the Israeli government. Sanders has previously introduced efforts in Congress to restrict or halt US weapons transfers to Israel.

TWO ARAB-LED LISTS BARRED FROM ELECTION

Israel's Central Elections Committee voted to disqualify the Joint List and Ra'am, also known as the United Arab List, from the October 27 parliamentary election.
The Joint List brings together the Arab-led Hadash, Ta'al and Balad parties, while Ra'am is led by Mansour Abbas and is contesting the election separately.
The two lists are among the principal political vehicles representing Palestinian citizens of Israel.
The committee also voted to disqualify Hadash lawmaker Ofer Cassif and Balad leader Sami Abu Shehadeh.
The decisions have generated a major political and legal dispute because the two lists could potentially have won seats representing Arab voters in the 120-member Knesset.

THE BAN IS NOT YET FINAL

Despite the committee's decision, the parties have not been permanently removed from the election.
Israel's Supreme Court is expected to review the disqualifications, and the affected parties and candidates have said they will challenge the decisions.
Israel has previously seen election authorities attempt to disqualify Arab parties and candidates, only for the Supreme Court to overturn some of those decisions.
The court has therefore become the next major battleground over whether the parties will ultimately be allowed to contest the October election.

WHY WERE THE PARTIES DISQUALIFIED?

The petitions seeking the bans were brought by Israeli right-wing parties, including Likud and Otzma Yehudit.
The petitions accused the targeted parties or candidates of violating provisions of Israel's Basic Law: The Knesset.
Among the grounds for disqualification are denying Israel's existence as a Jewish and democratic state, inciting racism or supporting armed struggle against Israel by an enemy state or an organisation designated as terrorist.
The Arab-led parties reject the allegations.
Adalah, the legal organisation representing the affected parties and candidates, has argued that the evidence presented against the two main lists does not meet the legal threshold required for disqualification.

PALESTINIAN CITIZENS MAKE UP ABOUT ONE-FIFTH OF ISRAEL'S POPULATION

Palestinian citizens of Israel account for roughly 20 per cent of the country's population and have historically had political parties and alliances representing their interests in the Knesset.
Ra'am currently holds five seats, while the Hadash-Ta'al alliance also holds five seats in the current parliament. Balad does not currently hold a Knesset seat.
The possible exclusion of both major Arab-led lists has therefore raised questions about how Palestinian citizens will be represented if the Supreme Court upholds the bans.
However, Palestinian citizens would still be legally entitled to vote for other political parties contesting the election.

ARAB PARTIES REJECT THE DECISION

The affected parties have strongly rejected the disqualifications.
Ra'am described its exclusion as political and unacceptable, while leaders of the Joint List accused the government and its allies of attempting to reduce Arab political influence.
The parties have said they intend to challenge the decisions in court.
The dispute has also generated protests and criticism from political groups and civil society organisations in Israel.

SANDERS HAS LONG OPPOSED UNCONDITIONAL US SUPPORT

Sanders has been one of the most prominent US lawmakers calling for restrictions on American military assistance to Israel.
In April, he said he would continue pushing a resolution aimed at blocking US weapons transfers to Israel. Earlier attempts led by Sanders to restrict weapons sales have also been defeated in the Senate.
His latest comments come as some Democratic lawmakers are taking increasingly critical positions on aspects of Israeli government policy.
In September, a group of Democratic senators also introduced legislation seeking sanctions against individuals and entities involved in Israel's E1 settlement project in the occupied West Bank.

US-ISRAEL RELATIONS FACE POLITICAL PRESSURE

The dispute comes at a sensitive time for US-Israel relations.
Washington remains a major military and diplomatic supporter of Israel, but disagreements among US lawmakers over military assistance, settlements and the war in Gaza have become increasingly visible.
The issue is particularly significant within the Democratic Party, where some lawmakers have called for stronger conditions on US assistance to Israel.
At the same time, other Democratic lawmakers continue to support close US-Israel security cooperation.

ISRAEL'S SUPREME COURT FACES A KEY DECISION

The immediate question is whether Israel's Supreme Court will uphold or overturn the election committee's decisions.
If the bans are overturned, the Joint List and Ra'am could proceed with their election campaigns.
If they are upheld, Palestinian citizens of Israel would still be able to vote, but the two principal Arab-majority lists would be excluded from the ballot.
The court's ruling could therefore have significant consequences for political representation and the composition of the next Knesset.

ELECTION BATTLE TAKES ON WIDER SIGNIFICANCE

The controversy has placed questions about political representation, election law and the rights of Palestinian citizens of Israel at the centre of the campaign ahead of the October 27 election.
For Sanders, the issue has also become part of his broader argument against US military assistance to Israel.
For the Israeli authorities and parties supporting the disqualifications, the cases concern the legal eligibility of specific parties and candidates to participate in the election.
The Supreme Court's forthcoming decisions will determine whether the disqualifications remain in place and, ultimately, whether the two major Arab-led lists will appear on the ballot.