Prosecutor's Office Divided Over Disqualification Bid Against Arab Israeli Lawmaker

A significant dispute is underway within Israel's State Prosecutor's Office regarding the government's stance on a bid to disqualify Sami Abu Shehadeh, chairman of the Balad party, from running in the upcoming 26th Knesset elections. Senior prosecutors reportedly lean towards supporting the disqualification request, which was filed by the Otzma Yehudit party and Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

The basis for the disqualification petition, submitted under Section 7a of the Knesset Basic Law, is an alleged support for the armed struggle of a terror organization against the State of Israel. The primary evidence cited is an article published by Abu Shehadeh on October 8, 2023, one day after the Hamas attack and while fighting was ongoing in Israel. In the article, published on "Al-Araby Al-Jadeed," Abu Shehadeh described the Hamas attack as a "historically important event militarily, politically, and strategically." He also wrote, "If small, besieged Gaza was able to do this, and at this level, others can do it more effectively and simply," referring to the Israeli intelligence failure.

Otzma Yehudit argues that this analysis and Abu Shehadeh's statements constitute explicit support for a terror organization and its actions, mandating his disqualification from Knesset candidacy. Minister Ben-Gvir criticized what he called lenient legal rulings over the years, blaming former Supreme Court Justice Aharon Barak for granting immunity to Azmi Bishara, whom he described as Abu Shehadeh's spiritual father. Ben-Gvir alleged that Bishara provided information to Hezbollah during the Second Lebanon War and called for a Palestinian state on the ruins of Israel, stating that legal laxity shields terrorism.