Israeli Party Backs Disqualification of Arab Lawmaker Candidate Over Post-Oct. 7 Remarks

The National Unity party, led by Gadi Eisenkot, announced its support for disqualifying Sami Abu Shehadeh, a candidate for the 26th Knesset, due to remarks he published the day after the October 7th Hamas attacks. The party, however, does not have a representative on the Central Elections Committee, which will deliberate on the disqualification request.

This announcement coincides with the release of the position of the Attorney General and the State Prosecutor regarding several disqualification requests. They oppose disqualifying entire parties, both Arab and Jewish, that are facing such requests. However, regarding Abu Shehadeh specifically, they did not take a definitive stance for or against his disqualification.

According to their position, there is no legal basis to disqualify the Religious Zionism and Identity parties, Democrats, Ra'am, Otzma Yehudit, the Joint List, Balad, or Knesset Member Ofer Cassif. In contrast, concerning Abu Shehadeh, they stated that the evidence, particularly an article he published on October 8, 2023, "apparently indicates" he expressed support for an armed struggle by a terror organization against the State of Israel. The Attorney General and State Prosecutor noted that Abu Shehadeh's written explanation did not sufficiently clarify that his article did not reflect support for armed struggle against Israel at such a critical time.

Despite this, they did not explicitly call for his disqualification but urged the Central Elections Committee to "seriously consider the disqualification request," adhering to legal standards and examining Abu Shehadeh's arguments. National Unity took a more explicit stance, stating, "What was written on October 8 cannot be erased by a clarification post." The party affirmed its support for disqualifying his candidacy, even though it is not a voting body on the matter. National Unity cited Abu Shehadeh's October 8th statement where he described the Hamas attack as a "historically important event militarily, politically, and strategically," adding that "if little, besieged Gaza could do this, and at this level, others can do it more effectively and simply."

National Unity argued that Abu Shehadeh's later clarification, denying support for the massacre, does not alter the meaning of his original words. "The test is not the wording he chose on the eve of the decision concerning him, but the words he published the day after the massacre and their meaning," the party stated. They further contended that his remarks crossed the threshold defined in Basic Law: The Knesset regarding support for an armed struggle by a terror organization against the state. "For us, Abu Shehadeh crossed it. This clause must have practical meaning," National Unity declared, while emphasizing the right of Arab citizens to full political representation, but asserting that "support for an armed struggle by a terror organization against the state cannot be legitimized on the way to the Knesset."