Israeli Election Committee Disqualifies Arab Parties, Lawmakers Ahead of Vote

The Central Elections Committee has disqualified the Joint List, Ra'am party led by Mansour Abbas, and lawmakers Sami Abu Shehadeh and Ofer Cassif from running in the upcoming 26th Knesset elections. The decision now rests with the High Court of Justice, which will hear the appeals, likely next week, with a panel of nine judges.

Committee Chairman Judge Noam Sohlberg controversially voted to disqualify Abu Shehadeh, stating he found no satisfactory explanation for the lawmaker's support of "armed struggle." The Attorney General's representative noted that the disqualification request, filed by the Otzma Yehudit party, cited Abu Shehadeh's support for armed struggle against Israel at a critical time. Abu Shehadeh maintains he has never called for violence or terrorism and opposes armed struggle, advocating instead for political and civil means for peace, justice, and equality. He stated the disqualification attempt aims to harm the representation and political voice of the Arab community.

Ra'am chairman Mansour Abbas criticized the decision as political and anti-democratic, alleging it was made against the Attorney General's stance and based on false accusations. He suggested the move by Prime Minister Netanyahu aims to prevent a future "change government." Abbas vowed to refute the claims in the High Court, emphasizing Ra'am's commitment to Arab-Jewish partnership and coexistence, and the importance of democratic participation in elections to replace the current government.

Ofer Cassif argued that the disqualification requests target not only Arab representation but also aim to silence any voice offering an alternative to war and revenge. He asserted no contradiction between condemning Israeli actions in Gaza and the West Bank and condemning Hamas's October 7th atrocities, reiterating his consistent opposition to violence and advocacy for human rights, justice, and peace.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party led by Yair Golan and Naftali Bennett's "Achva" party announced support for Abu Shehadeh's disqualification, with Golan citing "red lines" for true democratic partnership. However, Golan's party will oppose the disqualification of Ra'am and the Joint List, accusing Netanyahu of trying to delegitimize an entire public. Yisrael Beiteinu, led by Avigdor Lieberman, also declared its intention to vote for the disqualification of Ra'am, the Joint List, Abu Shehadeh, and Cassif, arguing that any Zionist government must prioritize eliminating Hamas, and parties opposing this have no place in the Knesset. Gadi Eisenkot's "Yashar" party also announced support for Abu Shehadeh's disqualification, citing his post-October 7th statements as crossing the legal threshold against supporting terrorist organizations' armed struggle.

The Attorney General's office stated that evidence from an October 8th article suggests Abu Shehadeh "apparently expressed support for the armed struggle of a terrorist organization against the State of Israel," deeming his response "laconic" and his silence on the massacre "not a neutral factor."