Balad Chairman Withdraws Knesset Candidacy After Supreme Court Signal

Sami Abu Shahadeh, chairman of the Balad party, announced late Thursday night that he would withdraw his candidacy for the 26th Knesset. The decision came after the Supreme Court indicated during a hearing that a majority of the nine-judge panel appeared poised to disqualify him. Abu Shahadeh, who was placed third on the Joint List, will continue to lead the Balad party but will not run in the upcoming elections.

The move followed a direct appeal from Supreme Court President Yitzhak Amit, who suggested Abu Shahadeh consider withdrawing. Amit explained that a majority favored disqualification and that withdrawal would obviate the need for a formal ruling. Hours later, Balad confirmed Abu Shahadeh had accepted the suggestion.

The Supreme Court will now not need to issue a reasoned judgment on whether to disqualify Abu Shahadeh under Basic Law: The Knesset, which prohibits candidates who support armed struggle against Israel. The Central Elections Committee had previously disqualified Abu Shahadeh, a decision supported by Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and State Attorney Amit Issman, who found a basis for his support of armed conflict against Israel.

Central to the disqualification request was an article Abu Shahadeh published on October 8, 2023, the day after the October 7th Hamas attack. In it, he described the attack as an event of "military, political, and strategic" importance, suggesting others could replicate such actions if Gaza could. During the Supreme Court hearing, President Amit described the article as "alien" and noted its lack of condemnation for the massacre. Abu Shahadeh argued that his public career focused on human rights and civil issues and requested to continue his candidacy.