Israel’s Supreme Court has unanimously reversed the disqualification of two Arab political parties from this month’s general election. The October 2 ruling lets the Joint List and Ra’am stand in the October 27 vote.

The court’s nine justices struck down the Central Elections Committee’s September 23 decision to bar both parties. The committee had voted 18 to 5 to disqualify the Joint List, an alliance of three Arab parties, and also barred Ra’am over alleged support for terrorism.

Justices said the bans were legally wrong. They cleared Hadash-Ta’al member Ofer Cassif to run by a 7 to 2 majority. But the court let the disqualification of former Balad leader Sami Abu Shehadeh stand, after a majority found grounds to bar him.

Shehadeh then withdrew his appeal. He said the system applies “two different laws for citizens according to their identity.”

Arab citizens make up about 20 percent of Israel’s population. Arab parties currently hold 15 of the 120 seats in the Knesset.

The ruling was praised by Arab lawmakers as a defence of democratic rights. The election is set for October 27.