Balad Party Leader Slams Election Committee, Calls Judge a 'Settler'

Sami Abu Shehadeh, chairman of the Balad party, criticized the Central Elections Committee's decision to disqualify him from running in the upcoming elections in an interview with Egyptian channel Al-Ghad. Abu Shehadeh stated that the committee is "political, not professional or legal," and is composed of parties within the Knesset that he described as "racist and always inciting against us."

He specifically attacked the committee's chairman, Justice Noam Sohlberg, for supporting his disqualification, calling Sohlberg a "settler judge" with right-wing views who has consistently supported disqualification requests. Abu Shehadeh questioned whether the Supreme Court would "obey" the committee's "political decision" or rule on the matter professionally.

The Central Elections Committee disqualified Abu Shehadeh by a vote of 31 in favor to 4 against. In an unusual move, Justice Sohlberg broke with tradition and voted for disqualification, stating that the case was clear-cut. The initial request to disqualify Abu Shehadeh was filed by the Otzma Yehudit party and Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

The disqualification request cited, among other things, an article Abu Shehadeh published on October 8, 2023, the day after the October 7th Hamas attack, in which he described the attack as an "important historical event militarily, politically, and strategically."

Several opposition leaders, including Yair Golan, Gadi Eisenkot, and Avigdor Lieberman, had declared their support for the disqualification request prior to the committee's hearing. Abu Shehadeh claimed that Prime Minister Netanyahu and Minister Ben-Gvir "fear the Arab voice," leading to five disqualification requests against two Arab lists. The Supreme Court will now hear appeals on the Central Elections Committee's decision.