The High Court of Justice (HCJ) today (Friday) overturned the Election Committee’s decision, ruling that MK Ofer Cassif, Ra’am, and the Joint List will be allowed to run in the Knesset elections.
The panel of judges on the HCJ was composed of President Isaac Amit, Justice Daphne Barak-Erez, Justice David Mintz, Justice Yael Wilner, Justice Ofer Grosskopf, Justice Alex Stein, Justice Gila Kandi-Steinitz, Justice Khaled Kabub, and Justice Yechiel Kasher.
The decisions regarding the Joint List and Ra’am were unanimous, but in the case of Cassif, Justices Mintz and Stein dissented, arguing that he should be barred from running in the election.
In addition, Balad chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh formally submitted his resignation today, after the Balad faction announced yesterday that he would not run in the upcoming Knesset elections. Supreme Court President Amit said during the hearings on the disqualifications that the judges “recommend that Sami Abu Shehadeh withdraw from the race,” in light of the majority that had emerged in favor of disqualifying his candidacy.
The decision stated: “We held a hearing in the four proceedings, during which the parties’ arguments were heard. Following the hearing concerning Mr. Sami Abu Shehadeh, the panel made clear that there was unanimous agreement that the statements made by Mr. Abu Shehadeh were painful, outrageous, and repugnant. The panel also found it appropriate to reflect that there were differing positions among the judges; however, the emerging outcome was to uphold the Election Committee’s decision concerning Mr. Abu Shehadeh. Subsequently, on October 2, 2026, Mr. Sami Abu Shehadeh announced that he had decided to withdraw his candidacy on behalf of the Joint List in the elections for the 26th Knesset. Under these circumstances, the need to issue a judgment effectively became moot.”