Balad Party Leader Disqualified by Election Committee, Lawyer Cites Unusual Vote

The legal advisor for the Likud party, attorney Ilan Bombach, stated that the disqualification of Balad party chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh by the Election Committee was a significant event, noting that the committee's chairman, Justice Noam Sohlberg, participated in the vote, a rare occurrence. Bombach, who represented the petition to disqualify Abu Shehadeh, told "Kikar HaShabbat" that Sohlberg's support for the disqualification, which passed with a 31-4 vote, is something the Supreme Court cannot ignore.

Bombach dismissed Abu Shehadeh's claim that he was unaware of the full extent of the October 7th massacre when he posted on social media. "This is a blatant support for a terror organization, immediately after October 7th," Bombach asserted, calling the claim of ignorance "disingenuous, absurd, and delusional." He questioned whether Abu Shehadeh disavowed the massacre once he learned of its scale, noting that the defense of ignorance only emerged in response to the disqualification petition.

He emphasized that allowing individuals who support or identify with terrorism into the Knesset undermines Israel's ability to defend itself. Bombach argued that parties and candidates who align with or fail to condemn such individuals, especially during wartime, should not be permitted to serve in the Israeli parliament. He stressed that Israel is not a neutral entity but a nation fighting for its existence, making the exclusion of terror supporters from the Knesset a fundamental necessity.