Arab Candidate Withdraws from Knesset Race on High Courts Advice
Balad chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh withdrew from the Knesset race after Supreme Court justices advised him to step aside, following his controversial Oct 7.
Jerusalem, 2 October, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Balad chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh has withdrawn his candidacy for the October 27 Knesset elections after Supreme Court justices advised him to step aside, signaling that a majority supported disqualifying him.
Abu Shehadeh, number three on the Joint List slate, had appealed the Central Elections Committee’s decision to bar him from running. During Thursday’s hearing, Supreme Court President Isaac Amit suggested that he voluntarily withdraw rather than face a formal ruling.
All nine justices reportedly urged him to consider the move.
The disqualification stemmed from an October 8, 2023, article in which Abu Shehadeh described Hamas’s October 7 massacre as an important historical event. He later denied supporting terrorism and expressed regret over the article.
Following the court hearing, Balad announced that Abu Shehadeh would remain party chairman but would not appear on the election list.