Supreme Court Justice Solberg to Vote on Knesset Candidate Disqualification

Supreme Court Justice Noam Solberg, chairman of the Central Elections Committee, announced Wednesday he will participate in the vote on the disqualification of Knesset candidate Sami Abu Shahadeh. This marks the first time in the history of the Supreme Court that a chairman of the Elections Committee has personally voted on such a matter.

Solberg stated that while he recognizes the move is unusual, he felt compelled to vote due to the "serious matters" raised during the hearing and that Abu Shahadeh's statements were unsatisfactory. He noted that previously, committee chairmen had not taken a stance or voted.

Abu Shahadeh had attempted to defend himself, claiming he did not grasp the "dimensions of the disaster" and apologized for his past remarks, stating he would not write them today. The Elections Committee had previously disqualified Abu Shahadeh from the Knesset race with a majority of 31 in favor and 4 against. The final decision now rests with the Supreme Court justices.