Israeli Party Backs Disqualification of Arab Lawmaker Over Hamas Attack Remarks

The "Yisrael" party, led by Gadi Eisenkot, announced its support for disqualifying Sami Abu Shehadeh, chairman of the Balad party, from running in the 26th Knesset elections. The party cited remarks made by Abu Shehadeh on October 8, 2023, following the Hamas attack, where he described the assault as a "historically important event militarily, politically, and strategically." Eisenkot's party emphasized that such statements, made after the massacre and with knowledge of hundreds of Israelis murdered and taken hostage, cannot be erased by a clarification post nearly three years later.

In parallel, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara declared her support for the request to disqualify Abu Shehadeh. She stated that the evidence suggests he "expressed support for the armed struggle of a terror organization against the State of Israel," particularly in the article cited by Eisenkot. The Attorney General and State Attorney's Office believe Abu Shehadeh's written response to the disqualification request does not sufficiently clarify that his article did not reflect support for armed conflict against Israel at such a critical time.

Consequently, the Central Elections Committee has been urged to carefully consider the disqualification request during its upcoming hearing, applying legal standards and taking Abu Shehadeh's arguments into account. Separately, Eisenkot also called for the removal of an AI video published by the Religious Zionism party, with election turnout percentages potentially being decisive.