Balad Party Candidate Withdraws Amid Disqualification Concerns

The Balad party announced late Tuesday that its candidate, Sami Abu Shahadeh, is withdrawing his candidacy for the upcoming elections. This decision was made following an announcement of his disqualification, which the party stated could have severe repercussions for itself and other Arab parties. Balad's Central Committee approved the withdrawal, citing political responsibility towards the Arab public and the Joint List, and the potential damage to all political parties and national parliamentary activity.

The party emphasized that this move is not a retreat from its positions or a surrender to a campaign of incitement and disqualification led by the right-wing, specifically mentioning Itamar Ben-Gvir. Furthermore, Abu Shahadeh is not stepping down from political life or the leadership of Balad. He will continue to head the party and lead its future political and public struggles.

The decision reportedly came after the party understood the extent of the potential harm to its political operations and parliamentary work. Balad stated that Abu Shahadeh's withdrawal aims to protect Arab representation and that he will continue to lead the party's national and public efforts.