Top Legal Officials Urge Supreme Court to Bar Arab Lawmaker from Knesset

Israel's Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and State Prosecutor Amit Issman have formally requested that the Supreme Court uphold the disqualification of Sami Abu Shehadeh, chairman of the Balad party, from running for the Knesset. The decision by the Central Elections Committee to disqualify Abu Shehadeh was based on his alleged support for armed struggle against Israel, particularly in the context of the October 7th Hamas attacks.

In their filing with the High Court of Justice, the legal officials stated that Abu Shehadeh's article published on October 8, 2023, one day after the Hamas terror offensive began and while it was ongoing, expressed support for Hamas's armed struggle against Israel. They argued that his behavior falls squarely within the grounds for disqualification stipulated in Israel's Basic Law: The Knesset.

The Attorney General's office asserted that Abu Shehadeh's subsequent explanations for his statements and his overall conduct were evasive, incomplete, and failed to address the core allegations against him. The legal opinion emphasizes the extreme circumstances and timing of his actions, which they deem particularly severe.