Meretz asks High Court to prevent Feiglin from running

By GIL STERN STERN HOFFMAN
Meretz MKs Zehava Gal-On and Avshalom Vilan petitioned the High Court of Justice on Wednesday with a request to disqualify Likud activist Moshe Feiglin from running for Knesset. The Meretz MKs asked the court to overturn a decision by the Central Elections Committee on Tuesday to allow Feiglin to run. The committee's chairman, retired judge Eliezer Rivlin, turn down petitions filed by Gal-On, Vilan and Labor faction chairman Eitan Cabel that accused Feiglin of racism and opposing democracy. Rivlin turned down the petitions because they were not endorsed by enough parties in the Knesset in order to justify a hearing. The High Court already harmed Feiglin's chances of entering the Knesset in the February 10 election two weeks ago when it accepted a petition by the Likud that shifted Feiglin from the 20th to the 36th slot on the party's list. "It is not surprising that Meretz appealed to the High Court, which is essentially a branch of Meretz, to disqualify me," Feiglin said in response. "I am relishing the opportunity to defend myself before the court."