The fight over Sami Abu Shehadeh is not only about whether he can run, but whether Palestinian politics must accept the boundaries set for it by the Jewish majority
There is a debate underway among the Palestinian community in Israel: Should Sami Abu Shehadeh should withdraw from the Knesset race in order to prevent the Supreme Court from setting a dangerous precedent by disqualifying an elected Palestinian representative. At the same time, in the Jewish political arena, efforts are being made to have him disqualified from the election. These are separate issues, without a cause-and-effect relationship, but both touch on the same question: Who sets the boundaries of Palestinian politics in Israel?