In news from inside Israel, the Israeli Election Commission has banned two Arab parties from next month’s parliamentary elections. Israeli election officials accuse both the United Arab List-Ta’al and Balad can’t run because they practice incitement, support terror groups and refuse to recognize Israel’s right to exist. The parties have denounced the ban as an act of racism and an attack on democracy. Arab lawmaker Ahmed Tibi said, “It was a political trial led by a group of fascists and racists who are willing to see the [parliament] without Arabs and want to see the country without Arabs.”