Central Elections Committee chairman Judge Noam Solberg ruled Tuesday that the hearing on Otzma Yehudit's petition to disqualify Sami Abu Shahadeh's candidacy will proceed as scheduled.
According to Solberg's decision, Abu Shahadeh will be permitted to participate in the hearing remotely via video conference. "He may participate in the hearing through visual conferencing (Zoom)," the committee chairman determined.
The ruling comes as the Elections Committee prepares to consider Otzma Yehudit's disqualification petition against Abu Shahadeh. Solberg's decision ensures the hearing will take place on schedule, with the remote participation option enabling Abu Shahadeh to take part without requiring a postponement.
The hearing carries added significance in light of the position submitted to the Elections Committee by the Attorney General and the State Attorney. Unlike other disqualification petitions, where they determined there was no legal basis for disqualification, in Abu Shahadeh's case they did not present a final position for or against his removal.
According to their assessment, the evidentiary foundation, particularly an article Abu Shahadeh published on October 8, 2023, suggests he may have expressed support for armed struggle by a terrorist organization against the State of Israel.
The Attorney General and State Attorney further noted that Abu Shahadeh's written response to the disqualification petition "does not reassure that his article did not reflect support for armed struggle against Israel, at the most severe possible timing."
Despite this, they did not rule that his candidacy should be disqualified, instead stating that the Central Elections Committee must "carefully consider the disqualification petition" according to legal standards and Abu Shahadeh's arguments before the committee.
