Israeli Supreme Court Concludes Hearings on Candidate Disqualification Petitions
Translated & summarized from Al-Shams by baba
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Supreme Court heard petitions to disqualify four Arab candidates and lists.
- Decisions on disqualifications are expected Friday.
- Candidate Sami Abu Shehadeh may withdraw.
- Minister Ben-Gvir supports the disqualification requests.
- The Central Elections Committee had previously disqualified the candidates.
The Israeli Supreme Court concluded its hearings on Thursday regarding petitions to disqualify the candidacies of Sami Abu Shehadeh and Ofer Cassif, as well as the Joint List and the Unified List. The deliberations, which lasted for hours before a nine-justice panel, are being closely watched for the court's decisions expected on Friday. Abu Shehadeh is reportedly considering withdrawing from the electoral race before a final ruling is issued.
During the proceedings, a confrontation arose between the justices and the attorney representing Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir, who supports the disqualification requests against Arab candidates and lists. Justice Khaled Kabub criticized the attorney for repeatedly accusing the Unified List of supporting Hamas, based on the list's head, Mansour Abbas, not explicitly labeling Hamas a terrorist organization. Supreme Court President Yitzhak Amit expressed confusion over the arguments presented to justify the disqualification of the Unified List, telling Ben-Gvir's lawyer, "I don't understand what you are saying."
The Central Elections Committee had initially decided on September 23 to disqualify Abu Shehadeh, Cassif, and the Joint and Unified Lists, with these decisions then referred to the Supreme Court for approval or rejection.
In Abu Shehadeh's case, Amit indicated that a majority of justices favored his disqualification and urged him to consider withdrawing, giving him until the end of the day's deliberations to decide. Reports suggest Abu Shehadeh is consulting with his lawyers and political advisors on his next move. His disqualification petition was primarily based on an article he published after October 7, 2023. His defense argued the article did not explicitly call for supporting armed struggle, and Abu Shehadeh acknowledged to the court that the timing of its publication was a mistake.
The Supreme Court is expected to rule on the fate of all four disqualification requests on Friday. Discussions continue within Abu Shehadeh's party regarding his decision and whether he will proceed with his candidacy for the elections scheduled for October 27.
Read the original at Al-ShamsMentioned
The same event, reported separately by each outlet. Open a few to compare what different newsrooms emphasize — and what they leave out.
Not the same event — other stories that share this one’s people, places, or theme: background, reactions, and follow-ups.