Israel’s top court backs barring Palestinian politician from election over article

Israel’s top court has backed barring a Palestinian politician with Israeli citizenship from standing in the upcoming parliamentary election, citing an article he wrote on 8 October 2023. Sami Abu Shehadeh, leader of the Balad party, withdrew his candidacy on Friday after the Supreme Court recommended he do so on Thursday. Abu Shehadeh, a key figure in the Palestinian-majority Joint List, was disqualified from standing last month by the Central Elections Committee, a body controlled by the governing coalition. Read more: Israel’s top court backs barring Palestinian politician from election over article