Sami Abu Shehadeh, leader of Israel’s left wing Arab Balad party, has withdrawn from the October 27 election after the Supreme Court indicated that a majority of judges were prepared to uphold his disqualification.
The decision followed a move by Israel’s Central Election Commission to bar Shehadeh over an article in which he described the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack as “an important historical event”. Shehadeh has rejected allegations that the comment amounted to support for the attack.
The Supreme Court on Friday overturned the disqualification of Ofer Cassif and four parties seeking to represent Israel’s Arab minority, but signalled that Shehadeh’s case could be treated differently.
Shehadeh said the decision restricted political activity and freedom of expression for Arab Palestinians in Israel. Adalah, the legal rights group representing him, said he withdrew to prevent what it described as a dangerous legal precedent.
The October election will be Israel’s first since the Hamas attack, which killed about 1,200 people, according to Israeli figures. Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 74,000 people, according to local health authorities, while Israel rejects allegations that it has committed genocide.
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