Cassif condemns the move to exclude Abu Shehadeh
Ofer CassifHadash member of the Knesset
Cassif condemns the move to exclude Abu Shehadeh, describing him as an opponent of violence. He contrasts the exclusion with the continued presence of politicians he accuses of calling for genocide. English translation: I am very disappointed and angry about the decision regarding my colleague Sami Abu Shehadeh.
“אני מאוד מאוכזב, וכעוס על ההחלטה לגבי חברי סאמי אבו שחאדה.”
Original post
Where this statement fits
The effort to disqualify Sami Abu Shehadeh from Israel's 2026 election
Israel's Central Elections Committee voted on September 23, 2026 to disqualify Balad leader Sami Abu Shehadeh from the October 27 Knesset election. The dispute centers on whether his writing about the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack meets the legal threshold for supporting armed struggle against Israel. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara supported disqualification. Abu Shehadeh and his lawyers at Adalah challenged the evidence and described the effort as an attack on Arab political representation. At an October 1 hearing, the Supreme Court indicated that a majority favored disqualification and recommended withdrawal, according to court reporting. Balad subsequently announced that its leadership had agreed to withdraw his candidacy while retaining him as party leader. We have not located a final judgment approving the disqualification or an order accepting a formal withdrawal.
Source and context
Original post
About this source
The speaker criticizes the move to exclude Abu Shehadeh after the October 1 hearing. His description of a decision is his own characterization.
Before the quotation
Cassif says he has just left the Supreme Court after the disqualification hearing.
After the quotation
He calls the move a dangerous precedent and urges political action before the October 27 election.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Cassif directly opposes excluding Abu Shehadeh and calls it a dangerous precedent.
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More from this case
Read the full caseBalad objects to exclusion while announcing withdrawal
Balad
“استخدام الشطب أداةً لتضييق مساحة العمل السياسي العربي وملاحقة المواقف الوطنية الخارجة عن الإجماع الإسرائيلي.”Read statement
Odeh condemns pressure on Abu Shehadeh to withdraw
“פסילתו של חברי סמי אבו שחאדה היא הצעד הסופי בהפיכה המשטרית”Read statement
Ben Gvir backs Abu Shehadeh's disqualification
“לייצג את בקשת עוצמה יהודית לפסילת יו״ר בל״ד, סמי אבו שחאדה.”Read statement
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- The Dispute Index
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- Cassif condemns the move to exclude Abu Shehadeh
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- https://disputeindex.com/events/4384-cassif-condemns-the-move-to-exclude-abu-shehadeh
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The Dispute Index. "Cassif condemns the move to exclude Abu Shehadeh". First published: 2026-10-01. Last updated: 2026-10-01. https://disputeindex.com/events/4384-cassif-condemns-the-move-to-exclude-abu-shehadeh