Attorney General to High Court: Abu Shahada must be disqualified from running for Knesset

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and State Attorney Amit Isman are asking the High Court of Justice to uphold the disqualification of Balad chairman Sami Abu Shahada from running in the 26th Knesset elections, due to an article he published on October 8, 2023, a day after the October 7 attack, which they claim expresses support for Hamas's armed struggle.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and State Attorney Amit Isman have submitted a position to the High Court of Justice calling for the approval of the disqualification of Balad party chairman Sami Abu Shahada from running in the 26th Knesset elections. At the center of the petition is an article published by Abu Shahada on October 8, 2023, a day after the October 7 attack, in which, according to the legal counsel, he expressed support for Hamas's armed struggle against Israel. The submitted position states that Abu Shahada's later explanations are "disingenuous" and that the circumstances are "extreme and unprecedented in jurisprudence." The legal proceedings are taking place against the backdrop of the elections for the 26th Knesset, and the final decision will be made by the Supreme Court.