Video Contradicts MK's Claims on Hamas Attack, Court Told
A video posted by Balad party chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh three days after the October 7th Hamas attack, in which he described the massacre as a "strategic political event," is set to be presented to Israel's Supreme Court. The finding will be used in a disqualification request against Abu Shehadeh, filed by the Otzma Yehudit party and accepted by the Central Elections Committee.
On October 10, 2023, Abu Shehadeh released a TikTok video that did not mention Hamas as the perpetrator of the attack or condemn the massacre. Instead, he focused on accusing Israel of inciting violence against Gaza residents and killing Palestinians. In the video, he reiterated statements from an article that had previously led to his disqualification from running in elections, calling the events a "significant strategic political event" with major implications for the Palestinian issue and the region.
Abu Shehadeh also expressed condolences to "martyrs' families, the wounded, and all innocent victims' families, especially our people in the Negev," without referencing Hamas's mass killings, hostage-taking, or attacks on security forces. He sharply criticized Israel, citing "racist, barbaric, and inhuman incitement from the political and military leadership in Israel towards our people, especially Gaza residents," and mentioning terms like "genocide," "ethnic cleansing," and "massacre."
Abu Shehadeh recently claimed he was unaware of the full scope of the attack when he wrote the initial article. However, the video, published days after the article while terrorists were still in Israel and the fate of many Israelis was unknown, repeated these same messages. Legal sources anticipate the Supreme Court will uphold Abu Shehadeh's disqualification, with the video expected to raise serious questions about the credibility of his explanations to the committee.
A hearing on the Central Elections Committee's disqualification decisions, including that of Abu Shehadeh, is scheduled for Thursday.
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