Who they are
Sami Abu Shehadeh has led Balad since 2021 and served in the Knesset from 2019 to 2022. He lives in Jaffa, researches its history and has founded nonprofits and served on their boards.
Born in Lod in 1975, he attended Jaffa’s Terra Sancta school. He read history and political science at Tel Aviv University, then took a master’s in Middle Eastern history, studying Jaffa’s cultural life under the British Mandate. He belongs to the annual assembly of Mada al-Carmel, an Arab centre for applied social research.
He stood in 2008 on Yafa, a joint Balad-Hadash list for Tel Aviv-Yafo council that won one seat. He took it in 2011 under a rotation with Hadash’s Omar Siksik and signed a coalition agreement with mayor Ron Huldai in September 2012. Yafa lost its seat at the next municipal election. He later entered the Knesset on the Joint List and was re-elected. In January 2021 he defeated incumbent Mtanes Shehadeh for Balad’s leadership. Balad left the Joint List days before the 2022 filing deadline over a slate dispute. Running alone, it won 2.91 per cent, missed the threshold and left the Knesset.
Positions and record
Equality: In June 2026, called for Israel to become a state of all its citizens and replace the Nation-State Law with a Basic Law on equality.
Government support: In June 2026, ruled out joining a government. Would discuss outside support with a prime ministerial candidate willing to end the occupation or legislate equality.
Joint List: In June 2026, backed a joint electoral bloc with Hadash, Ta’al and Ra’am, despite Balad’s reservations about a technical alliance.
Crime prevention: In June 2026, called tackling killings and violence in Arab society his community’s first political priority.
Where they stand
Holds the party line on every issue.