Full Breakdown
Supreme Court Pressure Leads Balad Chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh to Withdraw from October 27 Knesset Race
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
Balad party chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh, the third-ranked candidate on the Joint List, submitted an irrevocable resignation to the Central Elections Committee and withdrew from the October 27 parliamentary election. The withdrawal followed a Supreme Court hearing on October 1, 2026 in which the nine-justice panel indicated that a majority would uphold the committee’s disqualification of Abu Shehadeh for supporting armed struggle against Israel. The court’s recommendation allowed the case to close without a reasoned ruling.
Background & Context
Under Section 7A of Israel’s Basic Law: The Knesset, a candidate may be barred for denying Israel’s existence as a Jewish and democratic state, incitement to racism, or supporting armed struggle by an enemy state or terrorist organization. The Central Elections Committee voted on September 23 to disqualify Abu Shehadeh on the first and third grounds, citing an Arabic-language article he published on October 8, 2023—one day after the Hamas attack that began on October 7, 2023. Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara and State Attorney Amit Aisman argued that the article constituted “golden evidence” of support for armed struggle.
Timeline
- September 30, 2025 – Attorney-General Baharav-Miara files a position requesting Supreme Court approval of the disqualification.
- September 23 – Central Elections Committee votes 31-4 to bar Abu Shehadeh.
- October 1, 2026 – Supreme Court hearing; justices unanimously recommend withdrawal, calling the statements “painful, outrageous and repugnant.”
- Friday after the hearing – Abu Shehadeh files a resignation; Balad accepts it, making the withdrawal effective once the court accepts the Joint List’s appeal.
Data & Statistics
- Committee vote on Abu Shehadeh’s disqualification: 31-4.
Official Statements & Responses
- Supreme Court President Isaac Amit told Abu Shehadeh, “There is a majority for your disqualification,” and urged voluntary withdrawal to avoid a binding ruling.
- National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir welcomed the withdrawal, describing it as the result of the “struggle we led.”
Criticism & Opposition
Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel – argued that the disqualification relied on “old, irrelevant or distorted evidence” and constituted “unjustly pushing out” Arab candidates. The organization claimed the state applied a “different standard” to Arab politicians compared with right-wing lists.
On-the-Ground Reports
Protesters gathered outside the Supreme Court in Jerusalem during the October 1 hearing, chanting “Fascism will not come here” and confronting Minister Ben Gvir and his legal team. Demonstrators represented Ra’am, the Joint List and other Arab parties, demanding that the disqualification applications be rejected.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The Supreme Court panel unanimously recommended withdrawal, yet the justices were divided on the legal threshold for disqualification, and no formal opinion was issued. This leaves the precise legal precedent for future candidate disqualifications unclear.
Verbatim Quotes
- “There is a majority for your disqualification,” — Isaac Amit, panel president
- “Sami Abu Shehadeh cannot be a member of Knesset. A supporter of terrorism belongs in prison, not in the Knesset,” — Ben Gvir, national security minister
What’s Next
The Supreme Court will continue hearings on the remaining disqualification appeals concerning Ofer Cassif, the Joint List and Ra’am. The Joint List will contest the election without Abu Shehadeh on its ballot, while Balad remains led by him as party chairman. The outcome of the pending cases may shape the legal standards applied to future candidate eligibility.