Politicsסאמי אבו שחאדה

Sami Abu Shehadeh

Sami Abu Shehadeh is an Arab Israeli politician who leads the Balad party and served in the Knesset for the Joint List from 2019 to 2022.

born 1975Leading the Balad partyKnesset member for the Joint List2026 election disqualification

Born: 19 December 1975, Lod
Occupation: politician
Party: Balad
Education: Tel Aviv University

Sami Abu Shehadeh was born in 1975 in Lod

Abu Shehadeh was born in Lod in 1975 to a Muslim family and grew up in Jaffa. He went to Terra Santa High School, a Catholic school in Old Jaffa.

At Tel Aviv University he earned a bachelor's degree in history and political science and a master's degree in Middle Eastern history. His research dealt with Jaffa as a cultural center under the British Mandate.

He ran second on the Yaffa list for the Tel Aviv-Yafo City Council in 2008 and joined the council in 2011 under a rotation deal. He entered the Knesset in 2019 on the Joint List and was elected Balad chairman on 23 January 2021. In 2022 Balad ran alone, did not pass the threshold, and he lost his seat.

On 8 October 2023 he published an article calling the Hamas attack an important historical event, and later wrote that he should not have written it. The Central Elections Committee barred him from the 2026 election, and after the Supreme Court recommended he withdraw, his candidacy was withdrawn.

He is married to Ihsan Sirri, an educational counselor. They live in Jaffa and have 2 children.