Justice Ministry Officials Split Over Bid to Disqualify Balad Leader Sami Abu Shehadeh

Justice Ministry officials are divided over whether the state should support an application to disqualify Balad chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh from the October election. Otzma Yehudit's filing cites an article Abu Shehadeh published after the October 7 attack and argues that his remarks praised the assault and supported terror. Deputy State Attorney Alon Altman reportedly said the cited remarks did not meet the required unequivocal threshold, while Deputy Attorney General Avital Sompolinsky and the High Court petitions chief leaned toward disqualification. Other officials favored protecting political expression despite describing the remarks as severe. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara said officials should first hear Abu Shehadeh's explanation before forming the state's position.