Political Commentator Amit Segal Slams Decision to Allow Arab Politician to Run

Political commentator Amit Segal reacted on Tuesday to the upcoming High Court of Justice hearing regarding the potential disqualification of Sami Abu Shehadeh, a member of the Balad party, from running in the upcoming Knesset elections. The Attorney General has strongly recommended that the court disqualify Abu Shehadeh due to his support for armed struggle against Israel, particularly in the context of the October 7th Hamas attack.

Segal stated that Abu Shehadeh and his Balad colleagues are in "complete shock" since the controversy began, especially concerning an article he published on October 8th. Segal criticized Israeli state institutions, including its judges, advisors, politicians, and journalists, for allowing supporters of terrorism into the Knesset and normalizing their presence. He argued that this leniency is the sole reason Abu Shehadeh felt emboldened to write an article supporting the October 7th massacre while the country faces an existential threat.

Segal also questioned why the Attorney General had not launched an investigation into Abu Shehadeh for supporting terrorism, given the available technology. The Attorney General's statement detailed that Abu Shehadeh's article, published a day after the Hamas attack began and while it was ongoing, expressed support for Hamas's armed struggle against Israel. The statement further noted that Abu Shehadeh's explanations for his remarks were partial and did not adequately address the core accusations against him, deeming his behavior central to the grounds for disqualification under Basic Law: The Knesset.