Arab Israeli Lawmaker Seeks Hearing Delay Citing Injury; Minister Accuses Him of 'Playing Games'

Sami Abu Shehadeh, chairman of the Balad party, has requested a postponement of his disqualification hearing before the Central Elections Committee, which was scheduled for Tuesday. Abu Shehadeh claims he was injured and hospitalized in the trauma unit at Rambam Hospital in Haifa. A letter submitted by Balad stated that Abu Shehadeh was hospitalized on September 22, 2026, after being injured in the morning and is expected to be released on September 23, 2026, in the afternoon. The request proposed either rescheduling the hearing for the morning of September 24, 2026, or allowing Abu Shehadeh to attend remotely via Zoom on the original date.

In addition to the delay request, Abu Shehadeh asked to submit a document summarizing his parliamentary work, citing a lack of time to prepare it alongside his response to the disqualification petition. The petition to disqualify Abu Shehadeh was filed by the Otzma Yehudit party and Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. It is based, in part, on an article Abu Shehadeh published on October 8, 2023, the day after the Hamas attack, in which he reportedly described the Hamas attack as a "historically important event militarily, politically, and strategically."

Abu Shehadeh recently addressed the article, stating that had he known the extent of the atrocities at the time of writing, he would not have published it. He asserted that he has never called for violence, supported the October 7 events, or justified them.

Otzma Yehudit responded swiftly to the delay request, with Minister Ben-Gvir suggesting Abu Shehadeh was "shaking" and "playing games" due to the upcoming hearing. The party stated that if necessary, they would seek to question Abu Shehadeh even in the hospital to ensure the proceedings continue. They added that Abu Shehadeh knows these are the final days for the judge to hear cases. Disqualification requests have been filed against several parties and candidates ahead of the elections, with Otzma Yehudit and Ra'am leading the initiative. Hearings are expected in the coming days.