In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with Sami Abu Shehadeh, the leader of the Balad Party who was recently told by the Supreme Court that he would be deemed a terrorist and banned from running in the upcoming Knesset elections. Hear Sami explain why he decided to resign from Knesset, and what he makes of Israeli “democracy.”
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Resources
- “Facing ban from High Court, Balad’s Abou Shehadeh ends election candidacy” (The Times of Israel, 10/2/2026)
- “Israel’s top court backs barring Palestinian politician from election over article” (Middle East Eye, 10/2/2026)
- “Palestinian MKs in Israel have long faced election bans. This time is different” (+972 Magazine,
- “Attorney General advise to Supreme Court: Abu Shehadeh should be disqualified from elections” (i24 News, 9/29/2026)
Biographies
Sami Abu Shehadeh is a member of the Joint List representing the Arab nationalist Balad. Abu Shehadeh was first elected to the Knesset in October 2019. He was previously Director of the Yaffa Youth Movement and, before that, a member of the Tel Aviv-Jaffa City Council. He is a historian.
Peter Beinart is a Non-Resident Fellow at the Foundation for Middle East Peace. He is also a Professor of Journalism and Political Science at the City University of New York, a Contributing opinion writer at the New York Times, an Editor-at-Large at Jewish Currents, and an MSNOW Political Commentator. His newest book (published 2025) is