Arab Israeli politician Sami Abu Shehadeh has withdrawn his candidacy from October's parliamentary election. This decision comes after Israel's Supreme Court indicated that a majority of its judges supported barring him from the race. Abu Shehadeh leads the left-wing Palestinian Balad party and previously served in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, from 2019 to 2022. His party stated that the withdrawal did not mark the end of his political struggle, as he would remain the party's leader.
The Supreme Court convened to hear Abu Shehadeh's appeal against the disqualification. Instead of issuing a ruling, the court proposed that he voluntarily withdraw, signalling that most judges favoured excluding him from the election. The court gave him until Friday morning to decide. Abu Shehadeh had little choice but to withdraw to avoid a formal disqualification that would have had "grave consequences for the country's political and parliamentary life," according to his party.
Abu Shehadeh's disqualification was initially proposed by Israel's Central Elections Committee at the request of far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. This decision came after an article in which Abu Shehadeh described Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack as an "important historical event." He has denied supporting the attack, but the remarks drew sharp criticism. Disqualifying candidates is rare in Israel, where the Supreme Court has historically overturned most bans approved by the elections committee.
Under Israeli law, candidates can be barred only if they deny Israel's existence as a Jewish and democratic state or support armed struggle by an enemy state or a terrorist organisation against Israel. Adalah, the Israeli rights group representing Abu Shehadeh, accused the Supreme Court of effectively disqualifying him by pressuring him to withdraw. The group stated that Abu Shehadeh's decades of public life demonstrated his "consistent and unequivocal opposition to violence of any kind."
The withdrawal of Abu Shehadeh's candidacy is seen as a significant development in the October 27 election. Arab Israeli parties are viewed by political analysts as potential kingmakers, with polls showing neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition nor the main opposition bloc on course for a majority. The Balad party and other Arab Israeli parties play a crucial role in determining the election's outcome.
Besides Abu Shehadeh, the elections committee last week barred two Arab electoral lists: the United Arab List and the Joint List, a three-party alliance that includes Balad. The Supreme Court is due to continue hearing appeals from those parties. Arab Israelis, also known as Palestinian citizens of Israel, account for about 20 percent of the country's population and have long complained of discrimination compared with Israel's Jewish majority.
The exclusion of Abu Shehadeh and other Arab Israeli parties from the election has sparked concerns about the representation of Palestinian citizens in Israel. Adalah stated that it is a "severe blow to the right of Palestinian citizens to be represented and to stand for election." The development has significant implications for the country's political landscape and the voices represented in the Knesset.
Key points
- Arab Israeli politician Sami Abu Shehadeh withdraws from October's parliamentary election.
- The Supreme Court indicated that a majority of its judges supported barring Abu Shehadeh from the race.
- The exclusion of Abu Shehadeh and other Arab Israeli parties has significant implications for the country's political landscape.
