Supreme Court Justice Rejects Knesset Candidate's Delay Tactic

Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg has rejected a request by Sami Abu Shehadeh, chairman of the Balad party, to postpone a hearing concerning his disqualification from running in the upcoming 26th Knesset elections. Abu Shehadeh had claimed he was injured, but Sohlberg dismissed this as a "lame excuse" and ordered the hearing to proceed via Zoom.

In parallel, the Attorney General and State Prosecutor submitted their position to the Central Elections Committee. They stated that while there is no basis to disqualify other candidates and parties, there appears to be a substantial evidentiary basis to disqualify Abu Shehadeh, particularly citing an article he published on October 8, 2023. This article allegedly expresses support for an armed struggle by a terror organization against Israel.

The Attorney General's office noted that Abu Shehadeh's written response was unsatisfactory and urged the committee to "seriously consider" the disqualification request. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who initiated the disqualification bid, believes Abu Shehadeh is trying to evade the proceedings. Ben-Gvir's party, Otzma Yehudit, stated they would request an investigation and a remote hearing if necessary, emphasizing the urgency given the limited time remaining for the judge to rule on such cases.

The urgency is heightened by Abu Shehadeh's controversial statements made after the October 7th Hamas attacks. In an interview, he downplayed the idea that the attack was meant to derail peace talks, suggesting it was a natural consequence of pressure, comparing it to a "law of physics." He also implied that Palestinians showed restraint despite humiliation, and praised Hamas terrorists, calling the events an "important historical event" and Gaza's stand an "epic achievement."

Ben-Gvir's disqualification request, filed with lawyers Ze'ev Woolf and David Babli, is based on Basic Law: Knesset, section 7a, which prohibits candidates who deny Israel's existence as a Jewish and democratic state or support armed struggle. The request specifically highlights Abu Shehadeh's October 8th article, which called the massacre a "historically important event" and suggested others could replicate it, while also praising Hamas and supporting the "Guardians of the Walls" riots.