Israel's Supreme Court Hears Cases to Disqualify Arab Lawmakers

Israel's Supreme Court began deliberations on disqualifying Arab candidates and parties from running in the upcoming elections, including former Knesset member Sami Abu Shehadeh and current MK Ofer Cassif. The Otzma Yehudit party, represented by Itamar Ben-Gvir and Tally Gotlieb, filed the petitions. Ben-Gvir, confronting protesters outside the court, labeled them "terror supporters" and urged them to "get out." He argued in court that Abu Shehadeh's statements and failure to condemn the October 7th Hamas attacks, even after acknowledging partial knowledge, demonstrated support for terrorism and warranted disqualification.

Ben-Gvir stated he was representing the victims of the October 7th massacre, emphasizing that the attackers did not distinguish between religious and secular Israelis. He asserted that Abu Shehadeh's claim of not understanding the full extent of the massacre was disingenuous and that his subsequent statements, which he deemed insufficient, still did not condemn attacks on soldiers. Ben-Gvir concluded that Abu Shehadeh, as a "terror supporter," belongs in jail, not the Knesset.

During the proceedings, the court accepted a request to include additional evidence. Ben-Gvir later told reporters that while he believed Cassif, the Ra'am party, and the Hadash-Ta'al list should also be disqualified, Abu Shehadeh's case was the most clear-cut. He expressed disappointment that his party had to present the key evidence, suggesting security agencies should have done so.

Separately, the Central Elections Committee had previously disqualified Ofer Cassif from running in the elections with 19 votes in favor, five against, and two abstentions, citing his denial of Israel's existence as a Jewish and democratic state. The committee also accepted Otzma Yehudit's request to disqualify Balad chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh based on two grounds: denying Israel's existence as a Jewish and democratic state and supporting the armed struggle of an enemy state or terror organization against Israel. Thirty committee members voted in favor of disqualifying Abu Shehadeh on each count, with four against.

The Attorney General and State Attorney's office recommended approving Abu Shehadeh's disqualification, citing his support for armed struggle during the October 7th attack in extreme circumstances. They stated that an article Abu Shehadeh published on October 8, 2023, expressed support for Hamas's armed struggle against Israel, and his subsequent explanations were insufficient. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear these decisions today.