Israel Election Committee Bars Balad Leader Sami Abou Shahadeh From Upcoming Vote

An Israeli elections committee voted on Wednesday to disqualify the leader of an Arab party from taking part in the country's upcoming parliamentary election.

The Central Elections Committee approved the request by a margin of 31 to 4, backing a petition from Jewish Power, the party of far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, to bar Balad leader Sami Abou Shahadeh from running.

Announcing the result, Dean Livne, acting head of the committee, said Abou Shahadeh had been barred under provisions of the Knesset's Basic Law.

The decision followed a heated session in which Ben-Gvir took the podium and accused Abou Shahadeh of being "a supporter of terror," pointing to remarks the Balad leader made a day after the Hamas-led October 7 attacks. Ben-Gvir said Abou Shahadeh "wants to come and incite and harm."

Addressing the committee by video call, Abou Shahadeh rejected the allegations. He said he had never supported and does not support armed struggle by Hamas or any other organization against the State of Israel, and condemned the October 7 attack along with "all the acts of killing, massacre, and atrocities that were committed in it." He described his path as one of political, public, democratic and non-violent struggle.

Abou Shahadeh also addressed the article at the center of the dispute, saying it had been written on October 7 and published on October 8. He said he had not known the full extent of the atrocities and killings at the time, adding that had he known, he would not have written it that way.

The Supreme Court is expected to make the final decision on the matter.

Abou Shahadeh is running as part of the Joint List, a coalition of three Arab parties contesting the election together.