Sami Abu Shehadeh Withdraws Under Supreme Court Pressure

Sami Abu Shehadeh withdrew his candidacy for Israel's October 27 parliamentary election after the Supreme Court pressured him to step down. The court indicated a majority of its nine justices favoured barring him and gave him until Friday morning to withdraw voluntarily.

Last week, Israel's Central Elections Committee disqualified Abu Shehadeh following a petition by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. The Supreme Court convened on Thursday to hear Abu Shehadeh's appeal, led by attorney Hassan Jabareen. Court President Yitzhak Amit informed Abu Shehadeh of the judicial majority's inclination. The court did not issue a formal ruling but presented withdrawal as the alternative to an imposed disqualification.

Legal and political grounds for the disqualification push

The push to disqualify Sami Abu Shehadeh centred on an article he published a day after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. In it, he described the assault as an "important historical event." National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, whose Otzma Yehudit party filed the petition, interpreted this as support for armed struggle. Ben-Gvir appeared in court wearing a lawyer's robe and stated, "Sami Abu Shehadeh cannot be a member of Knesset. A supporter of terrorism belongs in prison, not in the Knesset."

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara also backed the disqualification, arguing the article expressed support for armed struggle. Abu Shehadeh denied the accusations, saying his words may have been taken out of context and that he is completely opposed to acts of violence.

Broader exclusion of Arab lists from the ballot

The action against Abu Shehadeh is part of a wider move against Arab political representation. The Central Elections Committee also voted to bar two major Arab electoral lists from the October 27 ballot.

The Joint List is a three-party alliance that includes Abu Shehadeh's left-wing Palestinian Balad party. Balad stated he withdrew to avoid a formal disqualification, which the party warned could have serious consequences for the country's political life. The Supreme Court is due to continue hearing appeals from these barred parties on Friday.

Adalah and Arab Israeli communities condemn the move as democratic erosion

The legal group Adalah, which represented Abu Shehadeh, condemned the court's pressure. A Palestinian leader has been forced out of the Israeli Knesset elections after the Supreme Court made clear it would remove him, the organization said. Adalah noted his long career as a human rights defender, legislator, and party leader demonstrates a consistent rejection of violence. It described the situation as a severe blow to Palestinian citizens' right to representation.

Arab Israelis, who account for about 20 percent of Israel's population and mostly identify as Palestinians, have long complained of discrimination. Their parties are seen as potential kingmakers in the tightly contested October 27 vote, where polls show neither the governing coalition nor the main opposition bloc is on course for a majority.

Historical rarity of candidate bans and judicial precedent

The disqualification effort marks a rare use of legal barriers in Israeli elections. 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 terrorist organisation against Israel. Historically, the Supreme Court has overturned most bans approved by the elections committee, raising questions about the durability of the current exclusions.

Abu Shehadeh, a historian from Jaffa who served in the Knesset from 2019 to 2022, will retain his position as Balad's leader. The Supreme Court is set to continue hearing appeals from the barred Arab lists-the United Arab List and the Joint List-on Friday.