Ta’al chairman MK Ahmad Tibi sharply criticized the Democrats party and its leader, Yair Golan, over their support for disqualifying Balad chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh from running for the Knesset.
After Abu Shehadeh accepted Supreme Court President Isaac Amit’s recommendation and withdrew from the Knesset race, Tibi claimed that the Democrats’ position had hurt his chances of remaining in the race.
“I think the Democrats and Yair Golan made a serious mistake, both democratically and by infringing on Sami’s right to properly defend himself," Tibi said in an interview with 103FM.
He particularly criticized what he described as an alliance between the Democrats and those who sought to disqualify Abu Shehadeh.
“It seems bizarre to me that the Democrats would join a demand by Otzma Yehudit and [National Security Minister] Itamar Ben Gvir to disqualify an Arab candidate," he said.
Tibi argued that the vote by a left-wing party in favor of the disqualification may also have influenced how the judges considered the issue.
“I think that if the Democrats had not voted in favor, it could have changed the picture," Tibi said.
He further argued that the decision had political ramifications for the Democrats’ standing among Arab voters.
“I’m a political person, and I know the political environment I live in. They made a bad decision, a serious mistake - and they are paying a price for it in Arab society because their support has plummeted. I did not expect the Democrats to join Ben Gvir’s request," Tibi said.