Supreme Court Urges Arab Party Leader to Withdraw to Avoid Disqualification

Good Morning, Israel · Friday, October 2, 2026 · 7:00

Episode 5 · Friday, October 2, 2026 · 7:00

Supreme Court Urges Arab Party Leader to Withdraw to Avoid Disqualification

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1. Supreme Court Urges Arab Party Leader to Withdraw to Avoid Disqualification
2. Israeli Passenger Recounts Harrowing Mid-Air Struggle on Flydubai Flight
3. Flydubai Pilot Stabbed by Co-Pilot Transferred to Abu Dhabi
4. Passengers Subdue Attacker on Flydubai Flight, Avert Disaster
5. Fuel Prices to Drop by 50 Agorot Per Liter Next Week
6. Balad Party Withdraws Chairman Sami Abu Shehada from Knesset Run

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Maya

A passenger who grabbed the controls of a diving jet is now telling his story.

Daniel

And the U S and Saudi Arabia want to know whether Iran was behind the man who tried to crash it.

Maya

This is Good Morning, Israel from baba News. It's Friday, October second. I'm Maya.

Daniel

And I'm Daniel.

Maya

We told you yesterday about the Flydubai flight from Dubai to Israel, where the co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and tried to bring the plane down. Today we're hearing from inside the cabin.

Daniel

Right. One of the Israeli passengers, Yaniv Hayun, has described those minutes. And it started with the plane going into a violent dive.

Maya

So people in their seats suddenly feel the floor drop away.

Daniel

Exactly. According to Hayun, he rushed toward the cockpit, and he and other passengers subdued the attacker.

Maya

And then?

Daniel

Then, by his account, he briefly took hold of the yoke. That's the control column, essentially the pilot's steering wheel.

Maya

Wait, a passenger was holding the controls?

Daniel

For a short moment, yes. Until the crew could take over and land the plane safely in Saudi Arabia.

Maya

And we now know how many people were on that plane.

Daniel

One hundred and seventy-four. Every one of them made it.

Maya

And the captain, the man who was stabbed?

Daniel

Captain Smit Machhar. He's stable, and he's been transferred to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, for further medical care.

Maya

That's real relief after what he went through.

Daniel

It is. He was attacked by the one person who's supposed to be his partner up there. And he still helped get that aircraft down.

Maya

Let's get to the investigation, because that's moved too.

Daniel

It has. The U S and Saudi Arabia are investigating whether Iran played a role. The incident is being treated as a possible terrorist act.

Maya

Is there evidence Iran ordered it?

Daniel

Not confirmed. Direct Iranian orders haven't been established. So right now this is a question investigators are asking, not one they've answered.

Maya

Then why look at Iran at all?

Daniel

Because the regime in Tehran has spent years backing terror against Israelis through its proxies. Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen. A passenger jet headed for Israel is exactly the kind of target investigators have to check.

Maya

And it's interesting who's doing the checking. Washington and Riyadh, the Saudi capital.

Daniel

Right. The plane came down on Saudi soil, so the Saudis have a direct stake. And if Iran turns out to be linked, that's not only a threat to Israel. It's a threat to every airline flying through the Gulf.

Maya

Which makes it a regional security story, not just an Israeli one.

Daniel

Exactly. And it lands in the middle of an Israeli election campaign where security is already the main issue.

Maya

So what should we expect from the investigation next?

Daniel

The big question is still motive. Who the co-pilot was, whether he acted alone, and whether anyone was directing him. Until investigators say more, it's worth holding back on conclusions.

Maya

Now to the election itself. On Wednesday we told you the Attorney General wanted an Arab lawmaker kept off the ballot. That story has now reached an ending, of sorts.

Daniel

Right. Sami Abu Shehadeh, the chairman of the Arab party Balad, has withdrawn his candidacy for the Knesset, Israel's parliament.

Maya

Before the court could rule.

Daniel

Exactly. Israel's Supreme Court urged him to withdraw. A majority of the justices reportedly favored disqualifying him, and a ruling was expected by Sunday.

Maya

So the court effectively said, you can step back, or we can decide for you.

Daniel

That's about it. And he stepped back.

Maya

Remind us what the case was about.

Daniel

Statements he made about the October seventh attack. The Attorney General, who's the government's top legal adviser, had also cited his support for armed struggle, and remarks he made about Hamas terrorists.

Maya

And how is Balad explaining the withdrawal?

Daniel

The party says it acted out of political responsibility. It also says the move raises questions about political legitimacy for Arab citizens of Israel.

Maya

Is Abu Shehadeh leaving politics?

Daniel

No. Balad says he stays on as party chairman, and that the party remains committed to opposing the current government.

Maya

So for listeners outside Israel, how should they read this?

Daniel

Arab citizens of Israel vote, run for office and serve in the Knesset. Keeping a candidate off the ballot is rare, and the bar is high. But Israeli law draws a line at candidates who support armed struggle against the state.

Maya

And here that line was tested in court.

Daniel

Right. The Attorney General made the recommendation, the Supreme Court signaled where it was heading, and the candidate chose to withdraw rather than wait for the ruling.

Maya

What comes next for Balad?

Daniel

It goes into the campaign without its chairman on the ballot. And how Arab voters respond, whether they turn out or stay home, is always one of the big unknowns in an Israeli election.

Maya

Quick round now. Let's start with Israelis still trying to get home from Dubai.

Daniel

Israel's Ministry of Transport says evacuation flights from Dubai have been delayed, because of security coordination issues.

Maya

These are needed because Flydubai paused its Israel route.

Daniel

Exactly, the six-day suspension we mentioned yesterday. The ministry says it's working to resolve the situation, and it's advising passengers to contact their airlines directly.

Maya

The least satisfying sentence in travel, but probably the right advice.

Daniel

It is. Given what just happened on that flight, nobody's going to complain about security coordination being taken seriously.

Maya

Next, something drivers will like. Fuel prices are coming down.

Daniel

By fifty agorot per liter, starting Monday. An agora is a hundredth of a shekel, so that's half a shekel off every liter.

Maya

Down to what?

Daniel

Seven shekels and seventy-seven agorot a liter. The Ministry of Finance is cutting the excise tax, that's the tax built into the price at the pump, for one month.

Maya

Only a month?

Daniel

For now. And it's not final yet. It still has to go through public comment and get the Finance Minister's signature.

Maya

So maybe hold off on planning the road trip until the ink's dry.

Daniel

Monday isn't far away. But yes, the paperwork comes first.

Maya

And in an election season, a cheaper tank of fuel doesn't hurt anyone's campaign.

Daniel

No. Cost of living sits right near the top of what Israeli voters care about, just behind security. A month of relief at the pump is something people feel every time they fill up.

Maya

And once the month is over?

Daniel

That's the question. The ministry has framed it as a one-month reduction, so the price could climb back up afterward unless it's extended.

Maya

So, the thing to watch today is whether those delayed evacuation flights from Dubai finally get moving, and Israelis stuck there get home.

Daniel

Follow Good Morning, Israel so tomorrow's episode is waiting for you.

Maya

See you tomorrow morning.