Israeli Opposition Leaders Back Disqualification of Arab MK Sami Abed Al-Fattah
The Central Elections Committee is currently deliberating a request by the far-right Otzma Yehudit party to disqualify Sami Abed Al-Fattah, chairman of the Balad party, from running in elections. The request stems primarily from an article Abed Al-Fattah published on October 8, 2023, the day after Hamas's attack, in which he described the assault as a "historically important event militarily, politically, and strategically."
A broad coalition of opposition figures and parties have announced their support for the disqualification. Yair Golan, chairman of the Democrats party, stated that Abed Al-Fattah's remarks crossed a red line and were "deplorable." He added that while he supports Jewish-Arab partnership, such statements are unacceptable. Golan also drew a parallel to Itamar Ben-Gvir, the minister who filed the disqualification request, suggesting both should be disqualified.
MK Naama Lazimi of the Democrats also declared her support, calling Abed Al-Fattah's statements "deplorable." The "Achieving Together" party, led by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, announced it would vote in favor of disqualification, citing his support for the October 7th massacre. This marks a shift from their earlier stance of not participating in disqualification proceedings.
Other opposition parties joining the call for disqualification include Yisrael Beiteinu, led by Avigdor Lieberman, who will vote to disqualify Abed Al-Fattah, the Joint List, Ra'am, and Ofer Cassif. Blue and White, led by Benny Gantz, will also vote to disqualify Abed Al-Fattah, Balad, and Cassif, citing alleged support for terrorism and opposition to Israel as a Jewish state.
Furthermore, the "Yashar!" party, led by Gadi Eisenkot, announced its support for disqualifying Abed Al-Fattah, stating his October 8th remarks cannot be erased by later clarifications. The Attorney General and State Prosecutor have indicated that there is a basis to consider Abed Al-Fattah's alleged support for a terror group's armed struggle against Israel, recommending the committee consider the request seriously, though they did not explicitly recommend disqualification.
The committee's decision is expected following the ongoing deliberations. If Abed Al-Fattah is disqualified, the ruling will be subject to review by the Supreme Court.
