Arab Israeli Politician Withdraws Knesset Candidacy Amid Disqualification Efforts

Sami Abu Shehadeh, head of the National Democratic Assembly Party, announced his withdrawal from the Knesset elections after the Israeli Supreme Court's judicial body indicated a majority of judges favored upholding his disqualification. The decision followed a Supreme Court hearing on the appeal against Abu Shehadeh's disqualification and a joint meeting of the party's Central Committee and Political Bureau. The party stated the withdrawal was a political responsibility towards the Arab public and the Joint List, aiming to mitigate potential repercussions on Arab political and parliamentary work. The National Democratic Assembly emphasized that Abu Shehadeh will continue to lead the party and engage in future political and public struggles, asserting that his withdrawal does not signify an exit from political life. The party views the disqualification issue as transcending Abu Shehadeh's personal candidacy, raising questions about the limits of political representation for Arab citizens in Israel and the use of disqualification procedures to restrict Arab political activity. The party accused the Israeli right, led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, of instigating a campaign against Abu Shehadeh. The party affirmed that this decision is not a retreat from its positions or submission to incitement campaigns, and that the party and the Joint List will continue to work to strengthen Arab representation and participation in elections. The National Democratic Assembly urged its supporters to respond to the disqualification by increasing organization, political participation, and voting, vowing to continue confronting what it described as attempts to delegitimize Arab political action.