Ben Gvir, Gottlieb Clash with Tibi Over Balad Leader's Knesset Candidacy

A heated exchange erupted in the Central Elections Committee on Wednesday during a discussion regarding the disqualification of Sami Abu Shehadeh, chairman of the Balad party, from running in the 26th Knesset elections. Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and MK Tali Gottlieb confronted MK Ahmad Tibi after Tibi stated, "You are allowed to lash out every time an Arab takes the podium." In response, Ben Gvir and Gottlieb accused Tibi of supporting terrorism.

Ben Gvir retorted, "A thief testifies about a thief. You are a terrorist and defend terrorists. He is disqualified from testifying." Gottlieb joined the exchange, saying, "What do we care that you are Arab? You support terror," with Ben Gvir adding, "You support terror."

The committee, chaired by Justice Noam Sohlberg, convened to discuss petitions seeking to disqualify Abu Shehadeh. Ben Gvir and Gottlieb are leading the legal effort to prevent what they call "terror supporters" from exploiting Israeli democracy.

The petitions allege a systematic failure by law enforcement and the Attorney General's office to proactively address incitement, relying instead on political figures to identify inflammatory material. Ben Gvir and Gottlieb emphasized that in the wake of the October 7th massacre and the ongoing war, a zero-tolerance policy and strict enforcement are necessary to ensure that those who identify with or justify terror against IDF soldiers are barred from the Knesset.

This discussion follows a report about a disturbing interview given by Sami Abu Shehadeh in Arabic after October 7th.