Rights9/15/2026

The First Disqualification of a Knesset List: The 1965 “Al-Ard” Affair

In September 1965, the Central Elections Committee refused, for the first time, to approve the participation of a candidate list in Knesset elections. The list was “Al-Ard,” whose organizers were considered opponents of the state’s territorial integrity and its very existence.

Key facts

•The event: the first disqualification of a candidate list for the Knesset
•The list: “Al-Ard”
•The body: the Central Elections Committee for the Sixth Knesset
•Date of the event: September 1965
•Committee chairman: Justice Moshe Landau
•Publication date: September 15, 2026

What Happened

The Central Elections Committee for the Sixth Knesset refused to approve the “Al-Ard” list. According to the source’s description, the committee based its decision on the fact that the list was an unlawful association and that its founders rejected Israel’s territorial integrity and the very existence of the state.

The Elections Committee’s Position

The committee chairman, Justice Moshe Landau, distinguished between an aspiration to change the system of government in the state and rejection of the state itself. This nature of the objectives attributed to the “Al-Ard” list served as the basis for the refusal to register it.

The Role of the Supreme Court

The excerpt provided states that the Supreme Court’s later case law shaped the approach of “defensive democracy,” and that legislation tightened the restrictions on participation in elections over time. However, the source does not provide the text of specific judgments, case numbers, or the statutory provisions applied. According to the summary of the material, disqualifying a list or an individual candidate requires persuasive, clear, and unequivocal evidence.

What this means for you

Participation in elections may be restricted if a list or candidate seeks not merely to change state policy, but to negate the state’s existence or territorial integrity. However, such a grave decision must be based on persuasive, clear, and unequivocal evidence; the specific proceedings and statutory provisions are not detailed in the excerpt provided.

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Case analysis based on court rulings