Haaretz editorial rejects the grounds for excluding Abu Shehadeh
HaaretzHaaretz editorial board
Haaretz's editorial opposed disqualifying Abu Shehadeh for failing to condemn Hamas. It also criticized attempts to exclude Arab parties from the Knesset.
“Abu Shehadeh's Failure to Condemn Hamas Is Not Grounds for Disqualification”
Original text
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 text
About this source
Institutional editorial opposing the stated grounds for disqualification.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
The editorial appeared while the Supreme Court was considering the disqualification.
After the quotation
Its opening criticized Abu Shehadeh's account of the October 7 attack.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Relative to excluding Abu Shehadeh, the editorial explicitly rejects the stated ground for the ban. Its criticism of his article does not support disqualification.
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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
Cassif condemns the move to exclude Abu Shehadeh
“אני מאוד מאוכזב, וכעוס על ההחלטה לגבי חברי סאמי אבו שחאדה.”Read statement
Cite this record
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- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Haaretz editorial rejects the grounds for excluding Abu Shehadeh
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- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/events/4394-haaretz-s-editorial-opposed-disqualifying-abu-shehadeh-for
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Haaretz editorial rejects the grounds for excluding Abu Shehadeh". First published: 2026-10-01. Last updated: 2026-10-01. https://disputeindex.com/events/4394-haaretz-s-editorial-opposed-disqualifying-abu-shehadeh-for