Ben-Gvir Seeks Disqualification of Arab Lawmaker Over October 7 Remarks

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has escalated his rhetoric against Sami Abou Shahadeh, head of the National Democratic Alliance party, calling for his disqualification from the upcoming Knesset elections. Ben-Gvir cited an October 8 article by Abou Shahadeh in a Qatari newspaper, which described the Hamas attack as a "significant historical event," occurring while fighting was still ongoing in Gaza border communities and Israeli soldiers were engaged in combat.

Ben-Gvir stated on X (formerly Twitter) that Abou Shahadeh "dares to preach morality to me and compare himself to me," calling it absurd. He added, "I am proud that I have fought the enemies of Israel all my life, and I will not apologize for it," urging Abou Shahadeh to account for his writings the day after the "massacre."

Furthermore, Ben-Gvir asserted that Abou Shahadeh's place, along with figures like Azmi Bishara and Basel Ghattas, is in Syria, not the Knesset. He expressed his expectation that the Election Committee and the Supreme Court would accept the request to disqualify Abou Shahadeh, a request Ben-Gvir had previously announced he would submit for the 26th Knesset elections.

Abou Shahadeh responded on X, calling the disqualification effort led by Ben-Gvir "absurd" and emphasizing his commitment to his political path, which he described as peaceful and dedicated to freedom, justice, and equality for both peoples. He argued that Ben-Gvir's attempt to remove him, despite decades of his own non-violent political struggle for Palestinian rights and equality, was baseless. Abou Shahadeh also pointed to Ben-Gvir's own convictions for inciting racism and supporting a terrorist organization, contrasting it with his own long-standing advocacy.