The Knesset approved a significant bill Monday evening in its first reading, aimed at preventing individuals who support terrorism from running in local elections. The proposed law addresses a longstanding legal loophole, aligning municipal election rules with those already in place for Knesset races.
Old Law Barred Party Lists—Not Individuals
Introduced by MKs Dan Illouz, Hanoch Milwidsky, and Oded Forer, the bill seeks to block any candidate who openly supports terrorism or enemy states from seeking public office at the local level. Under the previous legal framework, political party lists affiliated with terror groups could be disqualified, but individual candidates—regardless of their views—could still run. As a result, even someone publicly endorsing Hamas or the armed struggle against Israel could legally campaign for mayor or city council.
The new legislation closes this gap by extending disqualification authority to local election committees, mirroring the powers of the Central Elections Committee at the national level.
“Bringing Common Sense Back to Public Office”
After the bill passed its first reading, MK Dan Illouz commented:
“We are putting an end to the outrageous situation in which terror supporters can be elected to local government. This bill’s passage marks another step in restoring common sense to Israeli leadership. Anyone who supports the murder of Jews doesn’t belong in a council chamber—they belong in prison. Public officials should serve the State of Israel, not collaborate with those seeking to destroy it.”
