Arab party leader forced to withdraw from Israeli elections

Arab-Israeli politician Sami Abu Shehadeh withdrew his candidacy for the upcoming Israeli elections after the Supreme Court advised him to drop out. The withdrawal followed the court's threat to disqualify him amid increased efforts by Israeli authorities to block Arab Israeli parties from participating. Abu Shehadeh, leader of the Balad party, was accused by nationalist rivals of supporting Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023. The court indicated that most of its judges agreed with the decision by Israel’s Central Elections Committee to exclude him from the race.