Larger summary here. Look: I’m sure the two parties have taken stances I consider wrong-headed or even appalling. It doesn’t matter. That’s true of a lot of parties in a lot of states (including the risible and frankly racist Yisrael Beiteinu among Israeli parties). Insofar as Israel claims to be a liberal democracy, it needs to act like it, and that means not taking creepy fascist actions like banning the only two Arab-run parties in the Knesset (there are Arab MKs who represent other parties, but the Israeli Communist Party — Hadash — is the only Israeli political party even remotely integrated). I am confident and hopeful that the Israeli Supreme Court will overturn this action (as it has several similar actions before), but nonetheless this must be condemned in the harshest of terms.

* The Israeli Knesset (parliament) consists of 120 total members. The largest party is the centrist Kadima, consisting of 29 MKs. Yisrael Beiteinu is the fifth largest party in the current Knesset, with 11 members. The two Arab parties which may be banned have a combined 7 MKs.