Arab party leader forced to withdraw from Israeli elections

What the report says

Palestinian participation in Israel’s upcoming Knesset election has been further reduced after Sami Abu Shehadeh, the leader of the left-wing Balad party, withdrew his candidacy on Friday. Al Jazeera reported that the decision followed pressure from Israel’s Supreme Court, which indicated it was likely to uphold an earlier ruling by the Central Elections Committee to remove him from the race.

The dispute centers on accusations from nationalist rivals and far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir that Abu Shehadeh had supported Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack. Abu Shehadeh, who served in the Knesset from 2019 to 2022, told the court he did not back armed struggle and said one paragraph in a later article had been poorly phrased. Balad confirmed his withdrawal but said he would remain party leader.

The move comes as Israeli authorities have also moved against other Arab electoral lists, including the United Arab List and the Joint List, which includes Balad. Rights group Adalah, which represents Abu Shehadeh, said the case threatened Palestinian citizens’ political representation and warned of a dangerous legal precedent. The broader election is significant because Arab parties could help determine whether either Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc or the main opposition can secure a majority.