Arab Party Leader Withdraws Knesset Candidacy After Court Review
Translated & summarized from Vesty by baba
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Balad party chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh withdrew his Knesset candidacy.
- The withdrawal followed a Supreme Court review of his disqualification.
- Disqualification stemmed from an article sympathizing with Hamas terrorists.
- Abu Shehadeh stated he opposes all violence and is not a supporter of armed struggle.
- Otzma Yehudit expressed satisfaction, while Religious Zionism criticized the court's approach.
- The Supreme Court is also reviewing other disqualification appeals.
Sami Abu Shehadeh, chairman of the Arab Balad party and third on the Joint List's slate, has withdrawn his candidacy for the 26th Knesset. The decision came on the night of October 2nd, following a Supreme Court hearing regarding his disqualification. The court had convened on October 1st to review the Central Elections Committee's earlier unanimous decision to bar Abu Shehadeh from the elections.
The basis for the disqualification was an article published by Abu Shehadeh on October 9, 2023, the day after Hamas's attack on Israel. In the article, he expressed sympathy for the actions of the terrorists. Abu Shehadeh attempted to clarify his stance, stating he was against violence from both the state and terrorist organizations, and had not supported armed struggle, noting he grew up in Lod and was aware of the October 7th victims.
Supreme Court President Yitzhak Amit described Abu Shehadeh's statements as "outrageous and disgusting" and indicated the court would likely uphold the Central Elections Committee's decision. He advised Abu Shehadeh to consider withdrawing his candidacy to avoid a judicial ruling.
Following the court's suggestion, the Balad party announced Abu Shehadeh's withdrawal, emphasizing it was not the end of his political career and that he would continue to lead the party. The party stated the decision was made out of political responsibility and concern for the consequences on political and parliamentary activity.
The Otzma Yehudit party, which had appealed for Abu Shehadeh's disqualification, expressed satisfaction with the outcome. Party head Itamar Ben-Gvir stated, "We promised, we delivered." However, Bezalel Smotrich of the Religious Zionism party criticized the Supreme Court for not issuing a definitive disqualification, allowing Abu Shehadeh to withdraw "gracefully."
National Unity party chairman Gadi Eisenkot sarcastically commented on Abu Shehadeh's alleged past discussions with the Likud party, expressing "support" for the disqualified candidate. The Supreme Court is also reviewing other appeals, including those against the Joint List and MK Ofer Cassif, though their chances of disqualification are considered slim.
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