Ben Gvir to the Central Elections Committee: Disqualify Balad's Chairman from Running for Knesset

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has submitted a formal request to the Central Elections Committee to disqualify Balad chairman Sami Abu Shahada from running in the 26th Knesset elections. The request is based on an article published by Abu Shahada on October 8, 2023, in which he praised the Hamas massacre, and on additional statements supporting armed struggle.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir submitted a formal request on Tuesday to the Central Elections Committee to disqualify Balad chairman Sami Abu Shahada from running in the 26th Knesset elections. The request, filed through attorneys Ze'ev Wolf and David Bavly, is based on two main grounds under Section 7A of Basic Law: The Knesset – denial of Israel's existence as a Jewish and democratic state and support for armed struggle against it. At the center of the request is an article published by Abu Shahada on October 8, 2023, while Hamas terrorists were still present in Israeli territory. In the article, he called the Hamas massacre "an important historical event from a military, political, and strategic perspective," and even wrote: "If small and besieged Gaza managed to do this, others can do it more effectively and simply." The request also noted that Abu Shahada said on several occasions that "the real battle was decided on October 7," called Gaza's stand "a legendary achievement," and referred to the terrorists as "resistance fighters." The request includes a series of additional pieces of evidence, including praise for terrorists, support for convicted terrorists, justification of the "Guardian of the Walls" rioters, and ongoing activity to abolish the Jewish character of the state. The request also refers to legal rulings by former Supreme Court President Esther Hayut and former Supreme Court President Aharon Barak. Ben Gvir responded: "Until today, the Supreme Court has approved one after another all supporters of terrorism... The time has come for a systemic and conceptual change."