Middle East Monitor / September 17, 2022
Head of the National Democratic Alliance (Balad) Sami Abu Shehadeh announced on Friday that heads of Palestinian parties have decided to turn their backs on Balad in favour of Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid.
In a video on his Facebook page, Abu Shehadeh asserted that the head of the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality, Ayman Odeh, and the head of the Arab Movement for Change, Ahmed Tibi, distanced themselves from Balad to side with Lapid.
Abu Shehadeh suggested that both parties conspired against Balad: “My political reading for this is that they attempted to get rid of Balad to appease Lapid.”
He added: “Balad sticks to its political program, and we are absolutely sure that we can win this electoral battle. We do not accept being treated like humiliated orphans. I tell those who bet on our loss that they are wrong.”
Abu Shehadeh also addressed Palestinian voters via Facebook: “My family and my people: This is the reality about what happened regarding our decision to run for elections alone. There have been several attempts to get rid of us to justify their political crime. Our people are to stay true to their word.”
