Balad leader Sami Abu Shehadeh withdraws from Knesset race after Supreme Court signals ban

Balad chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh is ending his candidacy in Israel’s October 27 Knesset election, the party announced on Thursday night, after the Supreme Court signalled it would uphold his disqualification.

The announcement followed a hearing on Thursday before a nine-justice panel, at which the justices unanimously urged Abu Shehadeh to stand down, telling him a majority of the panel would back his disqualification. Supreme Court President Isaac Amit said the justices unanimously found his statements “painful, outrageous and repugnant”, though they differed on the legal outcome.

The Central Elections Committee had voted to disqualify Abu Shehadeh over an article he published the day after the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, which the attorney general argued constitutes support for armed struggle against Israel. Abu Shehadeh expressed regret over the article during Thursday’s hearing and denied supporting armed struggle.

The court gave him until 8 a.m. on Friday to respond, with a formal ruling due by Sunday if he stays in the race. The Joint List, whose slate lists him at No. 3, called the recommendation “disqualification in practice” and urged Arab voters to answer with mass turnout.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who personally argued the case against him in court, welcomed the withdrawal while criticising the absence of a formal ruling.

The party said: “The withdrawal of his candidacy is not the end of Sami Abu Shehadeh’s political struggle, and is not the end of Balad’s struggle”, adding that he would continue to lead the party.

Sources: The Times of Israel (https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/facing-ban-from-high-court-balads-abou-shahadeh-will-end-candidacy-reports/); The Jerusalem Post (https://www.jpost.com:443/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-910271); Ynet (https://www.ynetnews.com/article/byq66lncge)