Israeli court forces Arab politician to withdraw from election

Name: Israeli court forces Arab politician to withdraw from election
Uploaded: 2026-10-03T04:20:03+02:00
Duration: 2 min 23 s

493 views2026/10/03

Middle East Eye

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493 views · 2026/10/03

"In the Jewish state there are two laws, one for the Arabs and one for the Jews."

Arab Israeli politician Sami Abu Shehadeh has been forced to withdraw from the upcoming Israeli elections after the Israeli Supreme Court indicated that a majority of judges were prepared to disqualify him.

The Balad party leader said the decision was “not really done by me,” after Supreme Court President Yitzhak Amit told him that the court was likely to uphold his disqualification if he did not withdraw.

Abu Shehadeh is the leader of Balad, an Arab political party in Israel, and a former member of the Knesset.

He stated that efforts to exclude Arab parties are aimed at limiting their political influence, and the move is a push to help keep Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir in power.

His candidacy was challenged over an article he had written three years ago regarding the October 7 attack.

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Comments

132

@zareenaisYouTube

free Palestine

👍 3002026/10/03

@НазиятЯкубоваYouTube

🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🤲🤲🤲🤲СВОБОДУ ПАЛЕСТИНЕ,
СВОБОДУ СЛОВА ПАЛЕСТИНСКОМУ НАРОДУ, СВОБОДНЫЙ ВЫБОР ПАЛЕСТИНСКОМУ НАРОДУ, СВОБОДНАЯ НЕЗАВИСИМАЯ ГОСУДАРСТВА ПАЛЕСТИНА БЕЗ ОКУПАНТОВ ЗАХВАТЧИКОВ ПАЛЕСТИНСКИХ ЗЕМЕЛЬ.

👍 742026/10/03

@НазиятЯкубоваYouTube

❤❤❤ПАЛЕСТИНА---НЕЗАВИСИМОЕ ГОСУДАРСТВО ❤❤❤

👍 142026/10/03

@GeorgeMartensonYouTube

That's a cop out. Now Israel will say that he elected not to run instead of him not being allowed to run.

👍 832026/10/03

@AydaHussein-d8gYouTube

We need your support. We are a family from Gaza we have no shelter, no food 💔😢

👍 642026/10/03

@owl-3daysYouTube

They said out loud that there is NO DEMOCRACY IN ISRAEL !!

👍 4902026/10/03

@syedali9239YouTube

The only democracy in the middle east. The most moral army in the world my foot with a big toe.

👍 472026/10/03

@abcd1234-r1qYouTube

Enemy support during war. Punished by all democracies.

👍 12026/10/03

@SaharSalem-yo3nkYouTube

Look at what the Western world calls the only democracy in the Middle East

👍 2242026/10/03

@Handala10YouTube

Free Palestine 🇵🇸 from the River to the sea

👍 232026/10/03

@7kemalYouTube

The only democracy in the middle east 😊

👍 132026/10/03

@anwarahmed6692YouTube

And they say they have a democracy

👍 2872026/10/03

@user-cp7gh8zj6bYouTube

They differentiate between arabs and jews but what if you are an arab jew?

👍 192026/10/03

@sighfactorYouTube

Israel is much worse with apartheid than South Africa was

👍 942026/10/03

@Annie-zd7mxYouTube

Israel isn't a Democracy.

👍 1552026/10/03

@TechNo-hr5znYouTube

Democracy.... lol

👍 162026/10/03

@Ghosttrain01YouTube

"We are the only democracy in the middle east" is and always will be a lie

👍 712026/10/03

@m.h.bakababo9982YouTube

JazakAllah Khair

👍 02026/10/03

@abuhurairah6268YouTube

That has been said for more than good half of the decade.

*"But it can't be true, because we have Arabs, we are the only democracy in Middle East."*

Bollocks, all of them.

👍 82026/10/03

@tracysauvage1351YouTube

Free Palastine 🇵🇸❤😢

👍 22026/10/03

@tracysauvage1351YouTube

💪💪💪❤🇵🇸

👍 52026/10/03

@LSmith-v8lYouTube

The calm presentation by the 2 men who explain the disqualification is in marked contrast to Ben Gvir's fascist posturing.

👍 602026/10/03

@raffickjoosub4857YouTube

So, not only the government is packed with rogues and thieves, the judges are even more guilty because they are supposed to represent the law.

👍 262026/10/03

@istvanszabo3229YouTube

It's an apartheid state, just like South Africa used to be.😔

👍 192026/10/03

@mentallygoodYouTube

This is the most democratic country in the middle East??? I rather live under dictatorship

👍 12026/10/03

@AzureSky-m8lYouTube

People living in occupied Falastin should know that there are no 'both sides' to the century-long gen0cide.

👍 102026/10/03

@yamadakenji4143YouTube

The only thing that has changed now is the court finally let the mask of liberal pretense slip. It has always backed the ethnic cleansing, denial of right of return, the illegal occupation, Apartheid, torture and now genocide apart from some token individual cases to present itself as a beacon of liberal values and arbiter of justice without favors but even then the rulings were often ignored in practice (like the ban on coercing Palestinians into explosives sweeps). So in a way this turn of events is better because there is no denying now that Israel is just an ethnocracy, not a liberal democracy

👍 302026/10/03

@walad-e-aadamYouTube

Free Palestine

👍 122026/10/03

@MartinJarroldYouTube

Israel is a democracy, just like Nazi Germany was obviously a democracy. Israel is not an apartheid state, just like the old South Africa clearly was not an apartheid state. (Sarcasm rules!)

👍 32026/10/03

@lailaia8457YouTube

It is a clear indicator of APARTHEID, no democracy is Israel

👍 182026/10/03

@fmcfmc77YouTube

It’s apartheid! If you have one law for one group of people and a different law for another group of people then this is apartheid

👍 662026/10/03

@BndghhjiiYouTube

Since when is calling for violence a disqualifying matter in Israel? 😂 Violence is their raison d'etre.

👍 12026/10/03

@LindaHuseyinYouTube

Allow it to , disgusting

👍 72026/10/03

@mdshahilshaikh6999YouTube

Only democracy in middle East! 😂😂😂

👍 12026/10/03

@EmilyannamandaYouTube

Sadly this is why they have so many issues and lack of consistency because they don't consider all people equal, and that's why they can't make a constitution equally

👍 522026/10/03

@MartinFroschauer-z7rYouTube

Israel laws and courts remind me to the laws and courts in germany 90 years ago!

👍 22026/10/03

@nowhere-d6fYouTube

iCJ court Israel accountble for war crimes period

👍 22026/10/03

@Fortunate007-1YouTube

Why hide it at this point …… the goal is clear as day 😂

👍 02026/10/03

@Dida16YouTube

Only the US calls them a democracy. Europe calls them a Jewish regime, ethocracy, Jewish state etc. Depending on where are you at...

👍 142026/10/03

@solanjedereYouTube

Why the surprise?

👍 02026/10/03

@succatashYouTube

Not at all Israel I guess you don't know what a Democracy is. He resigned the courts didnt decide, Jewish parties have been banned as well. The Kahanist are banned. 3 other parties including 2 Arab parties were allowed to stay in the race. Democracies have laws that are enacted by the people. Democracy worked perfectly here.

👍 02026/10/03

@succatashYouTube

? Jews have been banned before and their are no Arab Jews, he resigned and 2 Arab parties that were banned were reinstated by the high courts. He like the Jewish Kahanists were deemed terrorist supporters and thus he decided to resign from the election. Ra'am and the Joint List are Arab Parties that got to stay in the election.

👍 02026/10/03

@TheGoslapaYouTube

@succatash I dont get it, because other parties have been banned, "there is democracy in lsraei"? Dont fool yourself. Racism and fascism. The words of Ben Gvir exude undemocratic sentiment. They drip with blood. Disgusting.

👍 192026/10/03

@ArthurMaximeClementYouTube

Look at this

👍 12026/10/03

@Brazil007ableYouTube

Not even pretending to be a Democracy anymore

👍 22026/10/03

@solo0101miaYouTube

To those who are claiming that ,,Israel is democratic country and not the aparthaid state"!

👍 112026/10/03

@Imran-zg1ccYouTube

What about the #CVNT5 who call this illegal occupation the only democracy in the Middle East???

👍 02026/10/03

@absolutepaintingproYouTube

FREE PALESTINE 🇵🇸🙏👣🌲 FROM THE ZIONISTS NOW

👍 22026/10/03

@Haris-m9lYouTube

I only read about the apartheid in South Africa. It was horrible. But yes Israel is much worse.

👍 112026/10/03

@brucemorales3229YouTube

They keep saying is these guys and these guys, but there’s thousands of them doing or supporting their actions.... not 3 or 5 people....

👍 22026/10/03

@Jakob-d5w6kYouTube

2 laws. 1 for each. Sounds and smells like apartheid

👍 312026/10/03

@hussainbinshamsuddin9488YouTube

The only democracy in the middle east...😂😂😂😂😂

👍 12026/10/03

@succatashYouTube

@TheGoslapaLmao, pretendig that someone that got 10.8% of the vote is representative of the country. Its odd I always see people like you pull out quotes from Ben-Gvir but never pull out quotes from larger parties who represent more people who want a two-state solution. Its almost like you have a political agenda you have an idea of the outcome you want and live in a world of confirmation bias to obtain that outcome.

I just ate at a Arab owned restaurant with LGBTQ Arabs and Jews, religious Jews, Muslim, Arab Christians and secular people and no one batted an eye. That is the norm in Israels democracy, the vast majority dont care who or what you are here they live there lives hoping for peace one day but ready to protect their families from terrorism.

Yes Israel is a Democracy a country where the rule of Israeli law flourishes. Where minorities have reached the highest levels of Israeli society.

👍 12026/10/03

@sandybolzenius8714YouTube

This speaks to how desperate Israel is.

👍 222026/10/03

@monikawilbanks5953YouTube

God said He is no respecter of person. Meaning before Him every body is the same. After all He is the Creator of us all.

👍 12026/10/03

@federicapintor3732YouTube

Shame 😢

👍 12026/10/03

@rikkertbatzback1816YouTube

Why are we pretending like this is news?

👍 02026/10/03

@abdiosman1308YouTube

A democracy works only for them.

👍 02026/10/03

@FeysallowAliYouTube

Sick society

👍 522026/10/03

@truthlover8532YouTube

They sure did!!!

👍 62026/10/03

@jonathanluddYouTube

He should have let them disqualify him. He gave the court deniability.
We always knew it was a sham.

👍 12026/10/03

@prsimoibn2710YouTube

Apartheid and theocratic dictatorship

👍 02026/10/03

@succatashYouTube

@istvanszabo3229 no it's not, there is nothing apartheid about Israel. They have there own state where all citizens can move freely and then they have the occupied territories where both parties made and agreement on how the areas will be governed some areas are governed wholly by Palestinians and other areas are split.

👍 02026/10/03

@succatashYouTube

Yep that's exactly how democracy works. Where there are rules and laws that the people created not some monarch or dictator.

👍 52026/10/03

@washaaYouTube

@succatashyour hasbara is weak. "I ate at an Arab restaurant"? Really?

👍 02026/10/03

@carolrennick5348YouTube

@succatashbot

👍 72026/10/03

@succatashYouTube

@carolrennick5348why are you telling us you're a bot that's a weird thing to do as a bot. Something must be wrong with your programming.

👍 02026/10/03

@innas5660YouTube

How is Ben Gvir a judge? WTH?

👍 02026/10/03

@me-gx3xnYouTube

Sick justice system from a very sick society. No surprise there

👍 72026/10/03

@HeatherForHumanityYouTube

Not a democracy in the middle east. Sue him.

👍 02026/10/03

@bontzoviYouTube

@succatash so why setles together with idf attack territories that was suposed to be palestinian

👍 42026/10/03

@ShizzilShortsYouTube

There are 2 billion Muslims Worldwide and 7 million Israelis, why are we letting them get away with this?

👍 42026/10/03

@RinkuKatoch-y8vYouTube

Truly an apartheid country where laws are different for different people!! What proof the world need now???

👍 02026/10/03

@classicchrome716YouTube

I hope the World sees finally what we tell them for decades. THERS IS NO DEMOCRACY IN ISRAHELL !

👍 02026/10/03

@Jack-u2m2iYouTube

Democratic apartheid

👍 02026/10/03

@L14MW4LK3RYouTube

Claim to be the only democracy in the region and they are doing the most un democratic things the world has ever seen

👍 02026/10/03

@ThunderbritchesYouTube

They couldn’t live with him winning. They see him as a threat.

👍 02026/10/03

@mannya3741YouTube

Look at how they were all screaming at him and taking videos to post to their hateful public.

👍 32026/10/03

@I_Feel_Like_JOYBOYYouTube

“Capitalism and democracy are not synonymous” — Immortal Technique

This doesn’t just apply to Israel.

👍 02026/10/03

@LuckyLyonTravelsYouTube

@Dida16is your country diverse with several race? So which other nation in the Middle East can Jews run for elections?

👍 02026/10/03

@artisan_tYouTube

Their own society will implode. The snake will devour its own tail. When they deny justice to anyone, sooner or later that same tainted hand will harm itself.

👍 12026/10/03

@mroldsaltyYouTube

"Two legs good, four legs bad" - George Orwell's "Animal Farm"

👍 02026/10/03

@dorkasaurus_rexYouTube

@succatashwhat law says Arabs can't run for political office?

👍 112026/10/03

@dorkasaurus_rexYouTube

@abcd1234-r1q why can't arabs run for office in Israel?

👍 02026/10/03

@succatashYouTube

@dorkasaurus_rexArabs can run, he resigned. The Joint List is running. Ra'am is running all are Arabs some are even pro-palestinian 2 state israeli arabs. There is section 7a of the basic law governing the knesset that you cant run for office if their actions explicitly or implicitly help the armed struggle of an enemy state or terrorist organization. On Oct 8th he wrote a article that is viewed as implicity helping in the armed struggle of a terrorist org and thus he decided to resign from running for the Knesset. This law is why Jewish Kach part cant run for office as they are deemed a terrorist organization and why Ben Gvir had to moderate his policies and seperate himself from Kach policies to run for office.

His party Balad a Palestinian Nationalist Party is still running in the election.

👍 22026/10/03

@abcd1234-r1qYouTube

@dorkasaurus_rex
Arabs who are citizens and do not promote liquidation of Israel can run for office

👍 02026/10/03

@KJRM2YouTube

Shock

👍 02026/10/03

@yaxley3920YouTube

Whole nation is becoming monstrous.

👍 22026/10/03

@mbcn79YouTube

Discrimination is not democraty, it s an apartheid, With raciste criminals at his head

👍 02026/10/03

@christopheroagor3236YouTube

That's how we see that 'law' depends on different if not conditional factors - everywhere

👍 02026/10/03

@MrAac2020-b6xYouTube

He was born there, his parents were born there, His grandparents were born there, and so on, and so on...He is part of the country the same as anyone else that was born there and deserves equal rights. .

👍 12026/10/03

@Latino-q2oYouTube

Truth

👍 02026/10/03

@waleedkhalid2416YouTube

Death of democracy

👍 02026/10/03

@ajdc2177YouTube

@succatashBOT

👍 82026/10/03

@BinzerChimbondaYouTube

Apparently they are a democracy 🤔

👍 02026/10/03

@arkadyarkright1328YouTube

@Dida16 Zionist state

👍 02026/10/03

@umaruKusYouTube

Democracy and Israel in one statement sounds vertical confusing indeed

👍 02026/10/03

@ShadowAussieYouTube

You are a scammer

👍 02026/10/03

@ShadowAussieYouTube

@abcd1234-r1q😂

👍 02026/10/03

@mikeg2306YouTube

When was the last election in ANY Arab country?

👍 02026/10/03

@kassandraaustin4980YouTube

US CITIZENS WE MUST DEMAND THAT OUR GOVERNMENT DIVEST AND DEFUND ISRAEL. WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO PAY FOR THIS!!!

👍 12026/10/03

@LegitResistanceYouTube

So someone who incites death and violence or some charged with corruption can stand, but someone who wrote and article cannot....gotcha!!!

👍 12026/10/03

@BTCmusthaveYouTube

CRAZY STATE

👍 02026/10/03

@ECornell-pf7rvYouTube

But they're the only democracy in the.... oh wait!

👍 02026/10/04

@muhammadabduhhisyam4458YouTube

Ridiculous. Really ridiculous! And they said that they are a choosen people. Disgracefull!

👍 52026/10/04

@susancurelop9649YouTube

What a shame. Perhaps relations would be better with a variety of people in the government.

👍 02026/10/04

@alexheywood9724YouTube

Democracy is a fiction

👍 02026/10/04

@HealingSavage1119YouTube

Such bs! So much corruption

👍 02026/10/04

@linoleumfloor8190YouTube

Facist court rulings are not legal authority or justice.

👍 02026/10/04

@jbohnoffYouTube

They will never learn...smh

👍 22026/10/04

@MechanalyticYouTube

Laws in Israel aren't meant to be followed. They exist much like in a communist country: to show the world that they actually have laws on the books.

👍 32026/10/04

@RealME3-77YouTube

It’s a genocidal/apartheid project not democracy at all!!

👍 02026/10/04

@ntatemohlomi2884YouTube

They can't keep up the pretences at democracy and equality anymore. The good thing is things are falling apart, the centre is not holding.

👍 12026/10/04

@almischief9417YouTube

Their hatred is so bad they'd discriminate against you cause you're Arab...just like they do against black Jews.

👍 02026/10/04

@limaj_videosYouTube

Not surprised

👍 12026/10/04

@AZ-ut7dqYouTube

dont worry the end ist near

👍 02026/10/04

@pswedlundYouTube

Freedom : from the river to the sea,

👍 02026/10/04

@Fairhaven44YouTube

You're just now figuring that out?

👍 02026/10/04

@ABash1YouTube

"THE ONLY DEMOCRACY IN THE MIDDLE EAST"

👍 02026/10/04

@kurremkarmerruk5357YouTube

Frankel, Dual State Theory. This is the prerogative state pushing its agenda.

👍 02026/10/04

@manjurekhuda7156YouTube

When a country or any establishment is created based on falsehood, at some point of time it will stuck in such a way where there will be no way out.

👍 02026/10/04

@danboyd2725YouTube

I suppose that makes Egypt the only real democracy in the Middle East.

👍 02026/10/04

@gordonchilversYouTube

Netanyahu lectures the UN on 'morality.

👍 02026/10/05

@stellaHansen-k9oYouTube

Even their courts are biased. How can they ever have peace? Bullying your neighbours is their answer to their problems. Arrogance and entitlement will get you nowhere for sure.

👍 02026/10/05

@CyrilleCrettazYouTube

"The only democracy of the Middle East"

👍 02026/10/05

@MoeMominYouTube

So democratic of Israeli supreme court.

👍 02026/10/05

@lauranneoliveau1075YouTube

That's the Isreali calculation = Help us, we're surrounded by enemies. Why?? Because you are violent and hateful to your neighbors. Victimhood is powerful because a victim always justifies their acts as self protection, even ethnic cleansing.

👍 02026/10/05

@MoeZamaYouTube

God bless this man

👍 02026/10/06

@tayforaYouTube

A usurper of your property/land will always deny you even your existence. For you being around reminds him of his unjustifiable illicit gain.

👍 02026/10/06

@MichaelRosenzweig-s3xYouTube

No country has a seditious party calling for its destruction in any election

👍 02026/10/11

@janetaylor2940YouTube

No democracy!

👍 12026/10/11

@jejakaperantauanYouTube

So much for “the only democracy in the Middle East” 😂

👍 12026/10/11