Heated debates took place today (Wednesday) at the Central Elections Committee, chaired by Justice Noam Sohlberg, regarding petitions to disqualify MK Ofer Cassif and Balad Chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh from running in the elections for the 26th Knesset. These charged proceedings—spearheaded on the Right by the Likud party, Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, and MK Tally Gotliv—resulted in a decision to disqualify both Cassif and Abu Shehadeh; the matter is now expected to proceed to the High Court of Justice for a final ruling.
In the case of Ofer Cassif, the committee ruled to disqualify him from running, with 19 members supporting the motion, five opposing it, and two abstaining. During the hearing, Knesset members clashed with the representative of the Attorney General, who defended Cassif and argued that he had not supported an armed struggle.
In response, an enraged MK Amit Halevi retorted that anyone who demanded in an international tribunal that the IDF be forced to halt combat operations during the war against Hamas was, in effect, supporting the armed struggle. Likud representative Attorney Ilan Bombach emphasized, while filing the petition against Cassif, that Israel is engaged in an existential struggle and that those acting against it from within should not be permitted to hold a public mandate. Conversely, Cassif and his representatives rejected the allegations, claiming political persecution.
Meanwhile, the uproar continued during the hearing regarding the disqualification of Sami Abu Shehadeh (who participated via Zoom, citing an injury). Minister Ben Gvir harshly attacked both Abu Shehadeh and law enforcement agencies for failing to proactively identify his inflammatory statements.
During the hearing, a loud and unusual confrontation erupted in the hall after MK Ahmad Tibi intervened to protest that “you are allowed to lash out every time an Arab takes the podium.” In response, Ben Gvir lashed out at him: “A thief calling another a thief. You are a terrorist; you are a terrorist and a defender of terrorists.” MK Gotliv joined in, shouting: “Why should we care that you’re Arab?” “You are a terror supporter.”
Abu Shehadeh himself argued in his defense that he had never called for violence and had apologized for the wording of the article he published on October 7—apparently without knowing the full extent of the atrocities—but his remarks met with fierce opposition from right-wing representatives. Minister Ben Gvir accused him of implicitly endorsing attacks on IDF soldiers and female surveillance observers, and urged committee members not to repeat past mistakes or approve his candidacy: “By law, statute, and justice, there is only one way: to disqualify Abu Shehadeh.”