Supreme Court Hears Challenges to Candidate Disqualifications for Knesset Elections

Israel's Supreme Court convened on Thursday to review decisions by the Central Elections Committee to disqualify several candidates and slates from running in the upcoming 26th Knesset elections. The court heard arguments regarding the exclusion of Sami Abu Shehadeh, head of the National Democratic Alliance, and MK Ofer Cassif, as well as the Joint List and the United Arab List.

The Central Elections Committee had previously voted on September 23, 2026, to ban these candidates and lists, referring the final decision to the Supreme Court. The court scheduled separate hearings throughout the day, starting with Abu Shehadeh at 10:00 AM and concluding with the United Arab List at 3:30 PM.

During the hearing for Sami Abu Shehadeh, MK Itamar Ben-Gvir of the Otzma Yehudit party argued for his disqualification, stating, "They want to kill us all," and identifying "terrorists, Sami Abu Shehadeh, and those who support them" as the targets. The judges cautioned Ben-Gvir against making broad generalizations towards Arabs. Justice Khaled Kabub recalled Abu Shehadeh's previous condemnations of the October 7th attacks, countering Ben-Gvir's claims. Ben-Gvir questioned how judges would face soldiers if Abu Shehadeh were elected to the Knesset.

Abu Shehadeh addressed the court, expressing regret over a controversial article he wrote, stating it was "not written correctly" and that his intention was to warn against violence and advocate for a political solution. He affirmed his lifelong opposition to violence and his understanding of the victims of October 7th, noting that Hamas committed "terrorist acts" which he rejects. He admitted to making a mistake with the article, calling it "bad" compared to his other writings and stating, "I am definitely sorry for the article."

The proceedings also touched upon the authority of the Supreme Court and the ongoing judicial reform debate, particularly when Ben-Gvir's lawyer raised issues about changing disqualification criteria. One judge also defended the use of Arabic, stating that speaking the language is not a conspiracy. Following the hearings, Abu Shehadeh and Cassif, represented by the Adalah Legal Center, were expected to issue statements to the media.