Israel bans Arab parties from election: What you need to know

With less than a month until the Israeli elections, a move from the country's Central Elections Committee (CEC) to bar all Arab parties from running has ignited a debate about the relationship between security, national identity and democratic representation in Israel. Should the bans remain in place when Israel goes to the polls on October 27, Arab citizens of Israel , who make up about a fifth of the country's population, will find themselves without their most likely source of representation in the Israeli parliament, the Knesset. However, the decision is not final, and the Supreme Court could overrule it in the coming days. Perhaps the most high-profile party to be banned is Ra'am, otherwise known as The United Arab List.