JERUSALEM – Israel's Supreme Court on Friday cleared four Arab-majority parties to participate in the parliamentary elections scheduled for Oct 27, overturning a decision by the country's electoral body.

The Central Elections Committee last week disqualified Hadash, Balad and Ta'al, which are running together under the Joint List, as well as the Ra'am party, which is running separately.

The petitions seeking their disqualification were filed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party and far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's Jewish Power party, on claims that the Arab-majority parties rejected Israel's definition as a Jewish state and supported "armed struggle" against Israel.

The Supreme Court ruled that the material submitted to the electoral committee did not meet the legal standards for excluding the parties.

However, Balad leader Sami Abou Shahadeh said earlier Friday that he had accepted the Supreme Court's proposal and withdrawn from the parliamentary race.

The petition against Abou Shahadeh focused on an article he published describing Hamas's Oct 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel as a historically significant event in military, political, and strategic terms.

During the court hearing on his disqualification, the justices indicated that a majority backed the decision and suggested he withdraw to avoid a ruling against him.

Abou Shahadeh said he had been subjected to "political persecution," while stressing that his withdrawal did not represent a retreat from his political positions.