The chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Justice Hanan Melcer, blocked Sept. 15 Zazim nongovernmental organization (NGO) from using volunteers to drive Bedouin voters in the south to their polling stations. The ruling came in response to a petition submitted by the Likud. Melcer ruled that Zazim could only provide the service if it first registered with the State Comptroller’s Office as an “active election body.”
Zazim defines itself as a nonpartisan political organization dedicated to influencing the public agenda on matters pertaining to human rights, social justice, the struggle against racism, the occupation, and so on. The group was founded through a donation from the New Israel Fund, an organization considered “hostile” by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the right, which has called to limit its activity. According to Zazim, 40% of its budget comes from small donations from activists, with the remainder coming from private foundations.
