Difference between revisions 273225884 and 273225899 on enwiki

{{Infobox_Israeli_Political_Party
| party_name=       = National Democratic Assembly<br>التجمع الوطني الدّيمقراطي<br>ברית לאומית דמוקרטית
| colorcode        = orange
| party_logo       = [[Image:Baladlogo.jpg|Balad logo]]
| leader           = [[Jamal Zahalka]]
| foundation       = 1995
| ideology         = [[Arab nationalism]]<br>[[Democratic socialism]]
| MPheight         = 
| MPcurrent        = 3 ([[Israeli legislative election, 2006|2006]])
| headquarters     = 
| international    = none
| european         =
| colours          =
| letters          = ד
| website          =
}}

   Hey Girls and Boys, come take a look at how Tony Greenstein and I play "Hide the Sausage" with one another!

   ---  Roland Rance, Stalinist Commander of the Masses⏎
⏎
'''Balad''' ({{lang-he|בל"ד}}, an acronym for ''Brit Le'umit Demokratit'' ({{lang-he|ברית לאומית דמוקרטית}}, lit. ''National Democratic Assembly''); {{lang-ar|التجمع الوطني الديمقرآطي}}, ''al-Tajamu' al-Watani al-Dīmūqrati'' or بلد, lit. ''Hometown'') is an [[Israeli Arab]] [[List of political parties in Israel|political party]] in [[Israel]] led by [[Jamal Zahalka]].<ref name=glickman%2F%26gt%3B/> It is sometimes called the "National Democratic Alliance".<ref>[http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArtElection.jhtml?itemNo=243455&contrassID=2&subContrassID=5&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y/ Azmi Bishara - National Democratic Alliance] Haaretz</ref>

== Ideology ==
Balad is an [[Arab nationalism|Arab nationalist]] political party,<ref>[http://www.balad.org/index.php?id=244 Balad's platform] Party website {{he icon}}</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4813056.stm Israeli political parties] BBC News, 5 April 2006</ref> whose stated purpose is the 'struggle to transform the [[state]] of Israel into a [[democracy]] for all its citizens, irrespective of national or ethnic identity.'<ref name=site%26gt%3B[http%3A%2F%2Fbalad%2Eorg%2Findex%2Ephp%3Fid%3D>[http://balad.org/index.php?id=138 National Democratic Assembly - NDA] Party website</ref> Balad also demands that the state of Israel recognize Palestinian Arabs as a [[national minority]], entitled to all rights that come with that status including autonomy in education, culture and media.<ref name=site%2F%26gt%3B/>

The party supports creation of two states based on [[Green Line (Israel)|pre-1967 borders]], with the [[West Bank]], [[Gaza Strip]], and [[East Jerusalem]] to constitute a [[Proposals for a Palestinian state|Palestinian state]]<ref>[http://judaism.about.com/library/1_politics/elections/bl_elections2003_parties.htm Israel's 2003 Elections - Political Parties] About.com</ref> and the implementation of [[UN Resolution 194]] regarding the [[Palestinian right of return|right of return]] to Palestinian [[refugees]].

Balad describes itself as a 'democratic progressive national party for the Palestinian citizens of Israel.'<ref name=site%2F%26gt%3B/>

Since its creation, it has objected to every proposed state budget submitted on the grounds that it discriminates against the Arab population.

==History==
(contracted; show full)

Prior to the [[Israeli legislative election, 2003|2003 elections]], the [[Israeli Central Election Committee|Central Elections Committee]] banned the party from running by a one-vote margin, claiming it did not respect Israel's legally-mandated status as a Jewish state and that its leader supported terrorism.<ref name=BBC
%26gt%3B[http%3A%2F%2Fnews%2Ebbc%2Eco%2Euk%2F2%2Fhi%2F>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east%2F/2641227%2E.stm Poll ban on Arab Israelis lifted] BBC News, 9 January 2003</ref> The move to ban Balad was initiated by [[Michael Kleiner]], the leader of the right-wing [[Herut – The National Movement|Herut]] party, who alleged that Balad was "a cover-up for illegal activity" and that it "supports terror organizations, identifies with the enemy and acts against Israel as a Jewish and democratic state."<ref>[http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=230464&contrassID=2&subContrassID=1&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y Right-wing MKs launch bid to disqualify Arab parties] Haaretz</ref> The [[Gush Shalom]] activist group criticized the decision saying it introduced into the committee the 'aggressive, predatory and racist attitudes of the majority of the extreme right' who they believe favor banning all Arab MKs.  Bishara personally responded to the Election Committee's charges that he supported Hezbollah by saying, "I believe that a people living under occupation [have] the right to fight against it, but I never called on the Palestinians to embark on an armed struggle against Israel. I never supported violent activity." The Elections Committee had also voted to ban Ahmad Tibi of the Ta'al party who had formed an electoral alliance with the left wing [[Hadash]] coalition.<ref name=HA%26gt%3B[http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ehaaretz%2Ecom%2F>[http://www.haaretz.com/hasen%2F/pages%2F/ShArtElection%2E.jhtml%3F?itemNo%3D=247451%26amp%3B&contrassID%3D=28%25C3%2583ContrassID%3D0%26amp%3B=0&sbSubContrassID%3D=1 Election Committee disqualifies MK Bishara and Balad list] Haaretz</ref>. 

However, the bans on both parties were overturned by the [[Supreme Court of Israel|Israeli Supreme Court]].<ref name=BBC /> Supreme Court Justice [[Misha'el Kheshin]] told the election committee that Bishara's past expressions of support for [[Hezbollah]] in Lebanon had angered him, although he voted to allow him to run in the elections because "Israel's democracy is strong and can tolerate irregula(contracted; show full)igation into his alleged assistance of Hezbollah during the [[2006 Lebanon War]],<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,2133184,00.html Wanted, for crimes against the state] The Guardian, 24 July 2007</ref> and various other criminal charges including money laundering. He was said to be "considering staying abroad because he feared a long term jail sentence and an end to his political career."<ref>[http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1176152849116&pagename=JPost%
252FJPArticle%252FShowFull Report: MK Bishara leaves Egypt] Jerusalem Post, 23 April 2007</ref> Bishara was replaced in the Knesset by [[Said Nafa]].

On January 12, 2009, Balad was disqualified from the [[2009 Israeli elections]] by the Central Elections Committee by a vote of 26 to three, with one abstention. It was disqualified on grounds that it does not recognize the State of Israel and calls for armed conflict against it. Zahalka argued that the decision was related to [[Operation Cast Lead]], and said that he is not surprised by it "because the vote was taken for political motives due to the war atmosphere... The committee members sought to increase their popularity at our expense on the backdrop of the elections".<ref name=glickman%26gt%3B%7B%7B>{{Cite news
| last = Glickman
| first = Aviad
| title = Arab parties disqualified from elections
| work = Ynetnews
| accessdate = 2009-01-12
| date = 2009-01-12
| url = http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3654866,00.html
}}</ref> On January 19, Attorney General [[Menachem Mazuz]], said that he saw no grounds to 	 prevent the Balad from taking part in the election, and noted that the decision was based on "flimsy evidence". On January 21, the [[Supreme Court of Israel]] overturned the Committee's decision by a majority of eight to one. Zahalka said: "Balad stands by its platform. The court's decision is a victory to the Arab public and to anyone who seeks democracy… we call on everyone to back the notion of 'a people state' and a life of equality bar discrimination".<ref name=glickman2%26gt%3B%7B%7B>{{Cite news
| last = Glickman
| first = Aviad
| title = Arab parties win disqualification appeal
| work = Ynetnews
| accessdate = 2009-01-21
| date = 2009-01-21
| url = http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3659935,00.html
}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.arabs48.com/ Arabs48] Newspaper affiliated with Balad {{ar icon}}  
*[http://azmibishara.info/ The International Committee for the Defence of Azmi Bishara]
*[http://www.knesset.gov.il/faction/eng/FactionPage_eng.asp?PG=103 Balad] Knesset website

{{Israeli political parties}}

[[Category:Political parties in Israel]]
[[Category:Arab political parties in Israel]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 1995]]

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