Otzma Yehudit to Submit New Evidence in Sami Abu Shehadeh Disqualification Bid
Otzma Yehudit is set to submit new evidence against former MK Sami Abu Shehadeh, claiming a video shows him supporting armed struggle and opposing a hostage deal that undermines Hamas.
Otzma Yehudit will submit additional materials on Tuesday regarding its petition to disqualify former Knesset member Sami Abu Shehadeh from running in the upcoming elections.
The documents include a video in which Abu Shehadeh speaks in Arabic against a hostage release deal that would allow Israel to continue its military campaign against the Hamas terror group. According to the party, Abu Shehadeh, who recently refused to explicitly label Hamas as a terrorist organization during an interview, is heard in the footage criticizing efforts to secure hostages while planning to resume fighting, which runs counter to Hamas's strategy of leveraging hostages to force an end to the war.
The materials will be presented by attorneys Zeev Wolf and David Babli, who represent Otzma Yehudit in the disqualification proceedings. They argue that the statements constitute evidence of support for an armed struggle against Israel, serving as legal grounds under the law to bar a candidate or a list from participating in the elections.
