Top Legal Officials Urge Supreme Court to Uphold Disqualification of Former MK Sami Abed Al-Rahman

Israel's Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and the Legal Advisor to the Government have asked the Supreme Court to uphold the Central Elections Committee's decision to disqualify former Knesset member Sami Abed Al-Rahman from running for office. The request comes ahead of a court hearing scheduled for Thursday to review the committee's decision.

In a joint statement submitted to the court, the legal officials argued that Abed Al-Rahman's disqualification is based on his positions and statements, which they claim demonstrate support for armed struggle against Israel, including the October 7th attacks. They stated that his candidacy should be disqualified due to his support for armed struggle against Israel, including the October 7th attack, under extreme circumstances and at a critical time.

The legal opinion cites an article published by Abed Al-Rahman on October 8, 2023, one day after the Hamas attack began and while events were still unfolding. They contend that the article's content reflects support for the armed struggle waged by Hamas against Israel. The statement emphasized that the article published by Abed Al-Rahman on October 8, 2023, one day after the bloody terrorist attack began and while it was ongoing, reflects a supportive view of the armed struggle by the terrorist organization Hamas against the State of Israel.

Baharav-Miara and the Attorney General further asserted that Abed Al-Rahman's actions fall under the specific grounds for disqualification outlined in the Basic Law: The Knesset. They addressed Abed Al-Rahman's explanation for the statements in the article, deeming his justification insufficient to address the core objections raised against him. The statement noted that the justification provided by Sami Abed Al-Rahman for the difficult statements in the article is partial and does not adequately address the central objections against him.

The Supreme Court is set to convene on Thursday to deliberate on the Central Elections Committee's decision regarding Abed Al-Rahman's candidacy. The legal officials' submission to the court supports the disqualification, based on the joint statement concerning Abed Al-Rahman's stances and his October 8th article.