Balad Party Leader Accuses Israel of Inciting Against Gazans

Sami Abu Shehadeh, head of the Balad party, released a video three days after the Hamas attack, leveling accusations against Israel, according to Kan News. In the TikTok video, Abu Shehadeh did not address Hamas's responsibility for the attack. Instead, he claimed that Israel incites against Gaza's residents and "kills Palestinians in the West Bank and Jerusalem."

"Our hearts are with the martyrs, and also with the families of the innocently killed," Abu Shehadeh stated in the recording. He also commented on the significance of the October 7th massacre, calling it "an important political event that will have far-reaching consequences for the Palestinian issue and the entire region."

These sentiments echo views Abu Shehadeh previously expressed in an article published on the Arabic news site "Arabs 48" on October 8, 2023. That article was the basis for the Central Elections Committee's (CEC) decision to ban him from running in the Knesset elections.

The High Court of Justice (Bagatz) is scheduled to review the CEC's decision on October 1st and will issue a final ruling. The report also notes that other political figures and parties, including MK Ofer Cassif (Hadash), the Ra'am party, and the Joint List, have also been banned from participating in the elections.