Israel Detains Palestinian Leader After Election Loss
Abd Abu Shahadeh was taken from his home in Jaffa as Palestinian parties secured a record 19 seats in the Knesset.
By Ivan Mori ·
Israeli security forces arrested Abd Abu Shahadeh on Tuesday night, removing him from his home in Jaffa near midnight. The 15 officers included masked personnel who detained him in front of his two children. Agents seized electronic devices and books before transferring him to an undisclosed location.
Police stated that the Tel Aviv Central Unit and the Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic intelligence agency, are handling the case. A court issued a publication ban, citing a security-related investigation. Abu Shahadeh is a Palestinian citizen of Israel who heads the elected Islamic Council in Jaffa. He also serves on the editorial board of the Arab48 news website.
The detention followed last week’s elections, where Palestinian-led parties won 19 seats in the 120-member Knesset. This marked their strongest performance ever. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc fell to 53 seats, down from 64 in 2022. The result prevented Netanyahu from forming a majority government, creating a political deadlock.
Netanyahu’s Likud party claimed the election was stolen due to foreign interference. Opposition figures accused Likud of exaggerating these claims, while Palestinian parties denied the allegations. On Wednesday, the Central Elections Committee certified the results. The committee found no evidence of irregularities that affected the outcome.
Shin Bet chief David Zini sought to question leaders of Palestinian-led parties under caution on Tuesday. The group included Mahmoud Abbas, Ahmed Tibi, and Sami Abu Shehadeh. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara blocked the request. She stated that elected officials require proper evidentiary grounds for questioning.
Sami Abu Shehadeh said the arrest was part of a campaign to undermine the results. He described the move as an effort to steal the elections. He noted that Palestinian citizens voted in massive numbers. He said the group would not be intimidated by the action.
The Shin Bet said on Wednesday that intelligence points to foreign funding intended to influence the vote. Security sources told Haaretz they were unfamiliar with claims of operations involving thousands of people or huge sums. One source noted that Zini declared the vote secure on election day. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for the arrest of all Palestinian party leaders. He described the election as stolen.
