Israeli Minister Seeks to Disqualify Arab Lawmaker Over October 7 Support

Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, of the Otzma Yehudit party, has filed a request to disqualify Sami Abu Shehadeh, chairman of the Balad party, from running for the Knesset. The request cites Abu Shehadeh's alleged support for the October 7 Hamas attack and his characterization of the attackers as "resistance fighters."

The disqualification bid, submitted by attorneys Ze'ev Wolf and David Bavli, is based on two grounds outlined in Israel's Basic Law: The Knesset. These grounds are denying Israel's existence as a Jewish and democratic state and supporting armed struggle against it.

Central to the petition is an article Abu Shehadeh published on October 8, 2023, the day after the Hamas assault began. In the article, he reportedly described the attack as a "significant historical event militarily, politically, and strategically," and wrote that if "small, besieged Gaza" could achieve such a feat, "others can do it more effectively and simply." The petition also notes statements where Abu Shehadeh allegedly praised Hamas's achievements, called for others to emulate them, and referred to the Gazan resistance as a "legendary achievement."

The requesters reference past Supreme Court rulings, including those by former Chief Justices Esther Hayut and Aharon Barak, which established precedents for disqualifying candidates who deny Israel's core characteristics or lend legitimacy to armed conflict against the state. Ben-Gvir stated that the evidence presented constitutes a clear and unambiguous case for disqualification, especially in the post-October 7 context. He added that the Supreme Court has previously approved candidates who support terrorism and called for a systemic change to prevent such individuals from entering the Knesset, suggesting Abu Shehadeh should join Azmi Bishara, another Israeli Arab politician who left the country after being accused of aiding Hezbollah.

Ben-Gvir asserted that the time has come to end the phenomenon of terror supporters taking over the Knesset.