Legal Advisor: Review Sami Abushahadeh's Candidacy, No Grounds to Disqualify Joint List

The Israeli government's legal advisor, Gali Baharav-Miara, has stated that the Central Elections Committee must seriously consider a request to disqualify Sami Abushahadeh, head of the National Democratic Alliance party, from running for office. This request stems from an article he published in October 2023, which Baharav-Miara believes ostensibly supports armed struggle against Israel.

Conversely, the legal advisor and the state prosecutor have determined that there is no legal basis to disqualify the Joint List, the Unified List, or several other parties and candidates. The legal advisor's office indicated that while Abushahadeh's article might appear to support armed conflict, this does not automatically meet the legal threshold for disqualification under Israeli law.

The 'Adalah' legal center rejected the claims against Abushahadeh, asserting they lack sufficient legal grounds. The center highlighted that Abushahadeh's past statements have included explicit condemnations of harming civilians. The legal advisor's opinion is a recommendation to the Central Elections Committee, which will make the final decision on the disqualification requests.