The Democratic Front for Peace and Equality announced on Thursday evening that it is withdrawing the candidacy of its chairman, Sami Abu Shakhadeh, from the Knesset elections scheduled for October 27. This decision comes in response to a recommendation issued by the Israeli Supreme Court regarding his eligibility to run.
Supreme Court Recommendation
According to Channel 12, the party, which participates in the elections as part of the Joint List, finalized its position and accepted the recommendation of the Supreme Court judges to withdraw from the race. The decision followed hours after Supreme Court President Justice Itzhak Amit informed Abu Shakhadeh during a hearing on Thursday that a majority of the court members supported striking his candidacy. The court granted Abu Shakhadeh until Friday to voluntarily withdraw his nomination; otherwise, the judges would be compelled to issue a ruling disqualifying him, according to Israel’s official broadcasting authority.
Background of the Disqualification
The Central Elections Committee had previously decided on September 23 to strike Abu Shakhadeh’s name from the Joint List, alongside MK Ofer Cassif. The committee also ordered the removal of the Joint List led by Youssef Jabarin and the United Arab List led by Mansour Abbas from participating in the elections. The case against Abu Shakhadeh stems from an article he wrote on October 8, 2023, the day after the October 7 attacks on settlements near the Gaza Strip.
Legal Arguments and Defense
Broadcasting authorities reported that court judges considered certain parts of the article to “arouse disgust and revulsion.” Abu Shakhadeh rejected the accusations leveled against him. During the Thursday hearing, Abu Shakhadeh stated that he does not support “armed struggle” and admitted that the phrasing of one paragraph in the article was incorrect. He emphasized that his intention was to call for shifting the conflict to the political track.
The “Adalah” Legal Center for Minority Rights in Israel, which represented Abu Shakhadeh, argued that the request to disqualify him relied on a single article that did not contain an explicit call to support armed struggle. Conversely, the State Attorney’s Office supported the disqualification of his candidacy. Right-wing factions in Israel, including the Jewish Power party led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, had requested the removal of Abu Shakhadeh’s candidacy, claiming the article represented support for the attack, a claim Abu Shakhadeh denies.
