Arab Party Head Withdraws Knesset Candidacy After Court Signals Disqualification

The National Democratic Assembly Party announced that its leader, Sami Abu Shehadeh, will not run in the upcoming Knesset elections. This decision follows a lengthy Supreme Court session where the court's president, Yitzhak Amit, indicated a majority of justices favored disqualifying Abu Shehadeh. The disqualification was sought due to an article he published in October 2023, which the government's legal advisor deemed supportive of "armed struggle by a terrorist organization." The court had proposed Abu Shehadeh withdraw his candidacy to avoid a formal ruling.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who initiated the disqualification request, opposed the withdrawal proposal and pushed for a judicial decision. During deliberations, Abu Shehadeh maintained his commitment to legal and political action and rejected violence. Justices focused their questions on his article and statements made after the October 7th events.

Following the court's indication, the National Democratic Assembly's Central Committee and Political Bureau met and, in consultation with Abu Shehadeh and legal counsel, agreed to withdraw his candidacy. The party stated this was a political responsibility to the Arab public and the Joint List, citing the serious implications for Arab political and parliamentary work.

The party emphasized that Abu Shehadeh fought the legal and political battle to its end, refusing to withdraw initially and defending his right to political representation before the Supreme Court. The withdrawal was only accepted after the court signaled its intent to disqualify him, which the party argued exposed the court's bias.

The National Democratic Assembly asserted that this case transcends Abu Shehadeh personally, raising serious questions about the limits of political legitimacy for Arab citizens and the use of disqualification to restrict Arab political activity and national stances that deviate from the Israeli consensus. The party stressed that this decision is not a retreat or submission to incitement campaigns led by the right-wing, particularly Ben-Gvir, and that Abu Shehadeh will continue to lead the party and national efforts.

The party called for increased organization, political participation, and strengthening the National Democratic Assembly and the Joint List, urging a strong turnout in the elections as the response to disqualification attempts. They also plan to present the case to democratic forces, human rights institutions, and international forums as part of a broader trend of restricting the political and civil rights of Palestinians in Israel.