Balad Chairman Abu Shehadeh to Withdraw Knesset Candidacy After Supreme Court Suggestion

Balad party chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh will withdraw his candidacy for the Knesset, accepting a recommendation from the Supreme Court. President Justice Yitzhak Amit had suggested Abu Shehadeh step down to avoid a ruling on his disqualification. The Balad party announced that Abu Shehadeh will continue to lead the party and its political struggle for Arab representation, stating the decision was made out of political responsibility for the Arab people and the Joint List, and understanding the severe implications for Arab political and parliamentary activity.

The party emphasized that the decision to withdraw was made after the court indicated a majority of justices leaned towards disqualification, effectively disqualifying him before an official ruling. Balad stated the issue raises difficult questions about the limits of political legitimacy for Arab citizens and the use of disqualifications to curtail Arab political action and pursue national stances not aligned with the Israeli consensus. The party vowed to continue fighting attempts to delegitimize Arab political activity and to strengthen Arab representation, aiming to oust the Netanyahu government.

The Supreme Court hearing concerned disqualifications by the Central Elections Committee for the 26th Knesset, including Abu Shehadeh, MK Ofer Cassif, Ra'am, and the Joint List. Protests were held outside the court, and entry to the hearing was restricted due to fears of disturbances. Some justices questioned the Likud party's stance, represented by attorney Ilan Bombach, on disqualifying Arab parties, with Justice Yechiel Kasher asking if the ruling party was comfortable with no Arab parties in the Knesset. Justice Khaled Kabub noted that disqualifying Arab representatives would mean one-fifth of the public would lack representation.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and State Attorney Amit Isman previously announced their support for Abu Shehadeh's disqualification, citing an article he published on October 8, 2023, as expressing support for armed struggle in Israel. They stated his subsequent explanations were disingenuous and did not address the core allegations. Baharav-Miara highlighted the unique context of the October 7th massacre, arguing that Abu Shehadeh legitimized the attack at a critical time. She acknowledged that disqualifying a candidate is a difficult decision impacting constitutional rights but deemed it necessary given the extreme circumstances.

Abu Shehadeh responded by denying support for terrorism or the October 7th attack, calling the attempt to attribute such a stance to him a misinterpretation. He accused the Attorney General of applying a double standard, contrasting his case with that of a minister convicted of inciting terrorism and racism. He affirmed his commitment to his political path and his intention to defend it in the Supreme Court. In his response to the court, Abu Shehadeh agreed on the timing of the article's publication but maintained it did not constitute support for armed struggle or the Hamas massacre, and that the Elections Committee had not considered evidence of his consistent opposition to harming Israeli civilians.