The left-wing Democrats party on Monday petitioned the Central Elections Committee to bar National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s far-right Otzma Yehudit slate from running in the October 27 election, accusing the latter faction of undermining democracy, denying “the existence of the State of Israel as a democratic state,” and inciting racism.

The petition argued that Otzma Yehudit’s lawmakers had moved beyond the ideology of the late extremist rabbi Meir Kahane and were now using government power to erode state institutions.

“The representatives of Kahanism in the Knesset are no longer dealing in theory, but are using their governmental power and the immunity granted to them to crush the rule of law, violate judicial orders, refuse to recognize the authority of the High Court of Justice, harm state security and incite violent racism,” the petition said.

The petition is seen as a long-shot to succeed, amid Otzma Yehudit’s relatively broad appeal among Jewish Israeli voters.

Ben Gvir, Otzma Yehudit’s chairman, has described himself as a disciple of Kahane, whose Kach party was ultimately barred from running for the Knesset. However, he has sought to distance himself from some of the extremist rabbi’s stances in the past. Ben Gvir, himself, was convicted in 2007 of incitement to racism and supporting a terrorist organization.

The Democrats’ petition focused on Ben Gvir’s conduct as national security minister, claiming that he “exercises governmental authority in violation of the law, systematically acts contrary to High Court of Justice decisions, issues operational instructions to the police against protesters and uses appointments to intimidate gatekeepers.”

It also highlighted Otzma’s new No. 2 candidate, former Likud MK Tally Gotliv, who was set to be indicted over her disclosure of the identity of a Shin Bet officer while promoting baseless conspiracy theories linking him to Hamas and insinuating that he bore responsibility for the October 7, 2023, attack.

The Knesset voted in June to grant Gotliv immunity from prosecution, which lasts through the end of the current Knesset’s term. After placing 20th on Likud’s election slate, following a disappointing primary result, Gotliv........

© The Times of Israel