Knesset

Segal: Israel draws a red line on MKs

Political analyst Amit Segal responds to Sami Abu Shehadeh's resignation from the Knesset, calling it good news that Israeli society is finally setting boundaries for lawmakers

Eliana Fleming

OCT 1, 2026 23:51

1 min read

Political analyst Amit Segal responded Thursday to the decision by Sami Abu Shehadeh to resign from the Knesset, effectively preventing the High Court (Bagatz) from ruling on his case.

Segal wrote: "He's resigning, and so we won't know which High Court justices believed this terror supporter could run for the Knesset."

"And we won't know the reasoning behind the High Court suddenly changing its position and its rulings (the real reason: public pressure)," he added.

Still, Segal noted a silver lining: "In any case, for the first time in decades, Israeli society is drawing a line in the sand for Knesset members from this side as well: not everything is acceptable. Good news."

The Joint List party announced it would accept the High Court's decision, with Abu Shehadeh stepping down from the Knesset.

The move makes a court ruling unnecessary, sparing Bagatz from having to issue a final decision. The step benefits both sides: Justice Amit would have been reluctant to issue a ruling disqualifying Abu Shehadeh, as it would contradict his previous rulings in favor of Arab candidates who praised terrorists. Meanwhile, the Arab parties avoid setting a precedent with a court ruling against an Arab candidate.

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