Ex-IDF Chief Eisenkot's Party Backs Banning Arab MK from Knesset

The 'Yashar' party, led by former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, announced Tuesday its support for disqualifying Sami Abu Shehadeh, chairman of the Balad party, from running in the upcoming Knesset elections. This follows a petition filed by the 'Otzma Yehudit' party, headed by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, to the Central Elections Committee. The petition cites Abu Shehadeh's statements after the October 7th Hamas attack as grounds for disqualification.

In its announcement, Yashar stated that Abu Shehadeh's October 8th description of the Hamas attack as a 'historically important event militarily, politically, and strategically' cannot be erased by a clarification post. The party emphasized that these remarks were made when the scale of the massacre was already known, and that a subsequent clarification nearly three years later does not absolve him, even though Balad is not currently part of the voting bloc.

Discussions regarding Abu Shehadeh's disqualification are scheduled to begin Wednesday. The Balad chairman requested a postponement or the ability to participate via Zoom, citing hospitalization. However, according to Walla, Elections Committee Chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg denied the request, ruling that the hearing will proceed as planned.