JERUSALEM: Arab Israeli politician Sami Abu Shehadeh withdrew his candidacy on Thursday from October's parliamentary election after Israel's Supreme Court indicated a majority of its judges supported barring him from the race.
Arab Israeli parties are seen by political analysts as potential kingmakers in the Oct 27 election, with polls showing neither prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition nor the main opposition bloc on course for a majority.
Abu Shehadeh leads the left-wing Palestinian Balad party and served in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, from 2019 to 2022.
The Balad leader was withdrawing his candidacy, but the decision did not mark the end of his political struggle, his party said in a statement, adding that he would remain the party's leader.
