Supreme Court Judge Rejects Arab Israeli Lawmaker's Bid to Postpone Election Disqualification Hearing

Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg has denied 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 sought to delay the proceedings, claiming he was "injured," but Justice Sohlberg dismissed the excuse and ordered the hearing to proceed as scheduled via remote video conference.

The legal challenge stems from a petition filed by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, leader of the Otzma Yehudit party, and his legal team, seeking Abu Shehadeh's complete disqualification under Basic Law: Knesset, Section 7A. The petition cited a series of severe statements and interviews given by Abu Shehadeh following the October 7th Hamas attacks, including his characterization of the assault as an "important historical event" and "a law of physics."

In parallel, the Attorney General and the State Prosecutor submitted their official position to the Central Elections Committee. They stated that unlike other candidates and lists, for whom there is no legal basis for disqualification, there is a "solid evidentiary basis" concerning Abu Shehadeh. The Attorney General's office clarified that Abu Shehadeh's written response was unsatisfactory and urged the committee to seriously consider his disqualification, citing, among other things, an article he published on October 8, 2023, in which he allegedly expressed support for armed struggle against Israel.

Minister Ben-Gvir, along with MK Tally Gotlieb, is expected to lead the critical hearing, aiming to prevent individuals supporting terrorism from participating in the political system.