Balad leader Abu Shehadeh withdraws from election after Supreme Court signal — Dawn
In Israel, Sami Abu Shehadeh, leader of the Palestinian left-wing party Balad, has withdrawn his candidacy from the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 27. This came after the Supreme Court, during consideration of his appeal, indicated that a majority of judges were inclined to bar the politician from participating in the elections.
As Dawn reports, instead of issuing a ruling, the court offered Abu Shehadeh the option of voluntarily withdrawing his candidacy and gave him until Friday morning to respond. In a statement, Balad said the politician took this step to avoid formal disqualification, which, in the party’s view, could have serious consequences for the country’s political and parliamentary life. Abu Shehadeh will retain his position as Balad’s leader.
Election commission decision
Last week, Israel’s Central Elections Committee disqualified Abu Shehadeh following a petition by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. The basis was an article in which the politician called Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack an “important historical event.” Abu Shehadeh denied supporting the attack, but his remarks drew sharp criticism.
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Israeli law allows a candidate to be barred from elections if they deny the existence of the country as a Jewish and democratic state or support armed struggle against Israel by a hostile state or terrorist organization. Candidate disqualifications are rare in the country, and the Supreme Court has previously overturned most bans adopted by the election commission.
Appeals by Arab lists
The human rights organization Adalah, which represents Abu Shehadeh, stated that the Supreme Court had effectively removed the politician from the race by pressuring him to withdraw his candidacy. In the organization’s view, his many years of work as a human rights defender, legislator, and party leader demonstrate a consistent rejection of violence.
In addition to Abu Shehadeh, the election commission barred two Arab lists from participating in the elections: the United Arab List and the Joint List, of which Balad is a member. The Supreme Court was to continue hearing their appeals on Friday. Arabs in Israel make up about 20% of the country’s population, and most of them identify as Palestinians.
