Joint List Signals Rejection of Supreme Court Offer Amid Disqualification Bid

The Joint List party indicated on Thursday evening that it is currently not accepting an offer from Supreme Court President Yitzhak Amit for Balad Chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh to withdraw his candidacy. This comes after the court's judges informed the party that a majority appears to favor disqualifying Abu Shehadeh.

In a statement, the Joint List characterized the proceedings as an "actual disqualification" and asserted that it infringes upon the Arab public's right to elect its representatives. The party criticized the court's decision, arguing there is no legal justification for Abu Shehadeh's disqualification and that the ruling provides "judicial cover for political exclusion."

The party further stated, "We will not retreat from our struggle" and will continue to work for peace, equality, and democracy. The Joint List urged the Arab public to vote in large numbers on October 27, declaring, "Our answer to attempts to exclude us and silence our voices will be a massive turnout at the ballot boxes."

Joint List Chairman Prof. Yousef Jabareen also condemned the decision, calling it "a dark day for all who believe in the values of democracy." He added, "We will act with all our might to disqualify from power those who sought to disqualify us from political participation."

At this stage, the party is not signaling an intention to accept the court's offer to withdraw Abu Shehadeh's candidacy. The offer was intended to allow him to withdraw before a reasoned verdict is published, following President Amit's announcement that a majority of judges favored disqualification.