Israeli court overturns election committee ruling disqualifying Arab JERUSALEM, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- Israel's Supreme Court unanimously overturned a Central Election Committee decision to disqualify an Arab Knesset member. The court said Knesset member Haneen Zoabi, of the Balad party could run in the upcoming elections, Israeli media reported Sunday. "This ruling proves again that the Central Elections Committee is a political body that abuses its authority and allows politicians to bar their rival for ideological reasons," Zoabi told Army Radio shortly after the high court decision. A statement issued by the Likud-Beitenu party called the nine-panel judge's decision "regrettable," Ynetnews.com said. A statement issued by the party said "we regret the Supreme Court's decision to allow Knesset member Zoabi to vie for a Knesset seat. Given the court's interpretation of the law it is obvious that the law must change and clearly state that anyone supporting terror is automatically disqualified from being a Knesset member," Ynetnews.com said. Last week in a 19-9 vote, the election committee called to ban Zoabi from running in the elections because of her involvement on the Gaza flotilla boat Mavi Marmara in May 2010, saying she supported terrorism and rejected Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, The Jerusalem Post said. Israeli commandos boarded the boat after calls to stop heading towards Gaza were ignored. In the ensuing violence nine Turkish activists were killed and a number of Israeli commandos injured.