Arab party avoids Israel poll ban

Israeli parliamentary election are due on 28 March

An Israeli Arab party has narrowly avoided disqualification from next month's Israeli parliamentary vote.

The central elections committee voted by 18 to 16 not to bar the Raam Taal party from taking part.

The vote followed a complaint by the opposition Likud party and several other smaller parties.

They argued that the party should be banned because of the alleged support of its chairman, Ibrahim Sarsur, for turning Israel into an Islamic state.

Mr Sarsur denied to the elections committee that he had made the comments.

He said he had called for Israel's withdrawal from territory occupied in 1967, and the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.