Israel's AG Backs Disqualification of Arab MK After Internal Debate

Israel's Attorney General Amir Isman supported the disqualification of Sami Abu Shehadeh, head of the National Democratic Alliance party, from running for the Knesset, following internal deliberations within the State Attorney's Office. The Supreme Court had convened a nine-judge panel to discuss the matter, shortly before Abu Shehadeh announced he was withdrawing his candidacy.

Legal analyst Abishai Greensayg of Channel 12 revealed excerpts from closed-door discussions held by prosecutors to formulate a stance. Shlomi Abramson, head of the security sector at the State Attorney's Office, stated that if he had known about a specific article at the time, he would have ordered Abu Shehadeh's arrest. Conversely, Alon Altman, Deputy Attorney General for Special Tasks, argued there was no clear reason for disqualification and he would not have recommended an investigation.

Despite the differing opinions, Attorney General Isman, who had remained silent in an earlier session, ultimately backed the disqualification. A draft position paper from the State Attorney's Office, prepared for the Supreme Court, indicated an intention to investigate Abu Shehadeh under the Anti-Terrorism Law. However, the Attorney General ordered this text removed to first gauge the Supreme Court's direction before making a final decision.

During a subsequent discussion, Deputy Attorney General Aviftal Sompolinsky criticized the prior leak of internal positions to i24NEWS, deeming it unacceptable. The discussions occurred as the Supreme Court was set to rule on Abu Shehadeh's eligibility to run for the Knesset.