Israel’s top court backs barring Palestinian politician from election over article

Israel's Supreme Court has upheld a ban on a Palestinian politician from running in the upcoming parliamentary election, citing an article he wrote in 2023. Sami Abu Shehadeh, leader of the Balad party, withdrew his candidacy after the court recommended his disqualification. The disqualification was based on an article he published in Arabic titled "The Al-Aqsa Flood: Preliminary Observations," which argued that the Hamas-led attack in southern Israel should not have come as a surprise given decades of occupation and violence.

Abu Shehadeh denied supporting armed struggle against Israel and denying its existence as a Jewish and democratic state, but the court still barred him. Balad, the party he leads, stated that he stepped down out of political responsibility and concerns for the joint list's representation in parliament.