Election Committee Judge Rules on Arab Candidate's Disqualification Hearing

Central Elections Committee Chairman, Judge Noam Sohlberg, ruled on Tuesday that the hearing regarding the "Otzma Yehudit" party's request to disqualify the candidacy of Sami Abu Shahadeh will not be postponed. Sohlberg decided that Abu Shahadeh can participate in the hearing remotely via video conference, allowing him to take part without delaying the proceedings.

The decision comes as the Elections Committee considers Otzma Yehudit's disqualification request against Abu Shahadeh. The case has gained further significance due to the position submitted by the Attorney General and the State Prosecutor. Unlike other disqualification requests where they found no legal basis, they did not present a final stance for or against Abu Shahadeh's disqualification.

According to their position, evidence, particularly an article Abu Shahadeh published on October 8, 2023, allegedly indicates support for an armed struggle by a terror organization against Israel. The Attorney General and State Prosecutor noted that Abu Shahadeh's written response to the disqualification request did not sufficiently clarify that his article did not express support for armed struggle against Israel at such a critical time.

Despite these concerns, they did not recommend disqualification but advised the Central Elections Committee to "seriously consider the disqualification request" based on legal standards and Abu Shahadeh's arguments before the committee.