Bakr Awada, the second candidate on Balad’s Knesset slate, said his party is preparing for a legal battle over the petition seeking to disqualify party chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh.
In an interview with Al-Nas Radio, Awada claimed that an article Abu Shehadeh wrote the day after the October 7 attack - cited as grounds for his disqualification - "is analytical in nature and is not an opinion piece or an expression of a personal position."
Awada noted that if Abu Shehadeh’s candidacy is disqualified, Balad will petition the Supreme Court to overturn the decision. The party draws encouragement from previous Supreme Court rulings, which have consistently prioritized the right to run for public office unless there is a clear pattern of statements or actions that meet the legal threshold for disqualification.
Awada expressed hope that, should the case reach the Supreme Court, the justices will evaluate the full context and all available information rather than basing their ruling on the interpretation of a single article.
In an article published in Al-Araby Al-Jadeed on October 8, 2023, Abu Shehadeh wrote: “If small and besieged Gaza was able to do this and at such a level, others can do it more effectively and simply."
He added: “To all those 'concerned' about Gaza’s workers: Let your support and expression of love and concern for them be reflected in supporting the rebuilding and rehabilitation of Gaza, rather than the rehabilitation of Israel."
Addressing the fallout of the Hamas attack, Abu Shehadeh urged the “resistance" - referring to Hamas - “to include the PLO in all its components in the political process that the military campaign will initiate," as well as “to involve key neighboring Arab states in order to achieve the desired gains and fulfill its demands."