Sami Abu Shehadeh, an Arab Israeli politician, has withdrawn his candidacy for Israel’s October parliamentary election following signals from the Supreme Court that a majority of its judges supported his disqualification. The decision follows a request from far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to bar Abu Shehadeh, stemming from comments he made describing Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack as a significant historical event – a statement he maintains was not an endorsement of the attack itself. Abu Shehadeh leads the left-wing Palestinian Balad party and previously served in the Knesset from 2019-2022. His withdrawal comes as Arab Israeli parties are considered potentially pivotal in the upcoming election, with neither the current coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor the opposition expected to secure a majority. While the party states Abu Shehadeh will remain its leader, they argue a formal disqualification would have had severe repercussions for Israel’s political landscape. Disqualifying candidates is unusual in Israel, with the Supreme Court historically reversing most such bans.