JERUSALEM, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- Sami Abu Shehadeh, leader of Israel's Balad party, announced Friday his withdrawal from the upcoming parliament election after the Supreme Court indicated the likelihood of upholding his disqualification.
Last week, Israel's Central Elections Committee voted to bar Balad, an Arab party that advocates turning Israel into a "state of all its citizens," from running in the general election on Oct. 27.
The decision followed a petition filed by the Jewish Power party, a far-right Israeli party led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
The petition focused on an article published by Abu Shehadeh, in which he described Hamas's attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 as a historically significant event in military, political and strategic terms.
The Supreme Court held a hearing on the disqualification Thursday. During the proceedings, the justices indicated that a majority appeared likely to uphold the committee's decision and suggested that Abu Shehadeh withdraw his candidacy rather than await a formal ruling disqualifying him.
Abu Shehadeh announced his decision to withdraw in a Facebook post. He said he had been subjected to what he described as political persecution, while noting his withdrawal did not constitute a retreat from his political positions or values.
The Supreme Court is also expected to rule on the disqualification of Ra'am, an Arab party led by Mansour Abbas that has pursued a pragmatic approach to Israeli politics and previously joined a governing coalition, as well as that of Ofer Cassif, a Jewish lawmaker from the Hadash party, which advocates Jewish-Arab equality and an end to the Israeli occupation. ■
