Supreme Court Chief Justice Urges Arab Leader to Withdraw Candidacy

Israel's Supreme Court Chief Justice Isaac Amit has informed Sami Abu Shehadeh, chairman of the Balad party, that a majority of justices intend to disqualify him from running in the upcoming Knesset elections. Amit recommended that Abu Shehadeh withdraw his candidacy to avoid a formal ruling against him, giving him until Thursday morning to respond.

The dramatic proposal came during a hearing of an expanded nine-judge panel, convened after the Central Elections Committee voted overwhelmingly to disqualify Abu Shehadeh. The committee's decision was based on grounds of supporting armed struggle or a terror organization against Israel.

The Attorney General and State Prosecutor's office informed the Supreme Court that they support Abu Shehadeh's disqualification, citing his support for Hamas's armed struggle, particularly in an article he published on October 8, 2023, the day after Hamas's deadly attack on Israel.

In a rare move, the chairman of the Elections Committee, Justice Noam Sohlberg, broke with tradition and voted in favor of disqualification, stating this was a clear-cut case.

Abu Shehadeh had previously called the Elections Committee a political body, not a professional or legal one. He now faces a difficult choice: accept the court's recommendation and withdraw, or proceed with the legal process and risk a definitive disqualification.