Balad Chairman Withdraws from Joint List Ahead of Elections

Sami Abu Shehadeh, chairman of the Balad party, has officially withdrawn his candidacy from the "Joint List" for the 26th Knesset elections. The announcement was submitted on Friday morning to the legal advisor of the Central Elections Committee and forwarded to the Supreme Court. In a letter to the Vice President of the Supreme Court, Noam Sohlberg, Abu Shehadeh, who was listed third on the slate, stated his resignation was voluntary and irrevocable. His resignation was conditional: it would take effect immediately if the Supreme Court upheld the Joint List's appeal against the Elections Committee's decision to disqualify the entire list. Shortly after, the Supreme Court unanimously accepted the appeal, allowing the Joint List to run, thus making Abu Shehadeh's resignation effective.

Abu Shehadeh's move followed a Supreme Court hearing concerning his candidacy. During the hearing, the justices indicated a consensus that his statements were "painful, outrageous, and nauseating," and that the likely outcome would be the approval of the Elections Committee's decision to disqualify him. Following his resignation announcement, the court canceled the proceedings against him.

In related decisions, the Supreme Court also overturned the disqualification of the Ra'am party and, by a majority of seven to two, permitted the candidacy of Member of Knesset Ofer Cassif from the Joint List to proceed.