Friday, October 2, 2026 - Israel’s Arab Balad party has withdrawn its leader, Sami Abu Shehadeh, from the October 27 general election after the Supreme Court indicated that a majority of its judges supported barring him from the race.
The decision followed a court hearing in which judges considered a 2023 article by Abu Shehadeh concerning the Hamas-led October 7 attack. Abu Shehadeh has denied supporting armed struggle and said his withdrawal does not mark the end of his political activity.
The Central Elections Committee had previously voted to disqualify Abu Shehadeh, as well as the Joint List and other candidates and parties.
The Supreme Court, however, overturned the challenges against the major Arab electoral lists while signaling that Abu Shehadeh’s individual disqualification was likely to stand. His party said he will remain its leader and that Balad will continue its political work.
The development comes just weeks before Israelis vote to elect the 120-member Knesset. Arab citizens make up about one-fifth of Israel’s population, making questions surrounding Arab political representation a major issue ahead of the vote.
Abu Shehadeh’s withdrawal has intensified attention on the legal limits surrounding candidates and parties seeking to represent Israel’s Arab minority.
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