Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)
Employing defensive measures to preserve Israel’s democracy, Netanyahu is seeking legal venues through which terror-supporting lawmakers could be ousted from parliament.
The public upheaval surrounding the three Israeli Arab Members of Knesset (MK) who visited the families of Palestinian terrorists and honored the murderers with a moment of silence continued on Sunday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking legal action that would enable the removal of terror-supporting parliamentarians from the Knesset.
“I believe that most citizens of Israel feel that these Members of Knesset (MKs) do not represent them,” Netanyahu said at the beginning of weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, referring to Hanin Zoabi, Jamal Zahalka and Basel Ghattas.
While Israel has been making “great efforts and great investments” in order to integrate its Arab citizens into mainstream society, these MKs “are doing the complete opposite. They are building walls of hatred,” Netanyahu charged.
“I try to imagine what would happen in the British Parliament or the US Congress if MPs or members of Congress would stand at silent attention for murderers of British or American citizens. I think that there would be a very major outcry, and rightly so,” the Israeli leader pointed out.
MKs Hanin Zoabi (C), Jamal Zahalka (L) and Basel Ghattas in Dec. 2012 at the High Court of Justice for Zoabi’s appeal against elections disqualification due to her participation in the violent anti-Israel Turkish IHH flotilla aboard the Mavi Marmara om 2010. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Netanyahu has asked Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit to consider taking legal action against the MKs, while the premier himself is exploring the option of modifying the law so that terror-supporting lawmakers can be ousted from Israel’s parliament.
“I would like to examine new and reinforced legislative changes to ensure that anyone who acts in this direction will not serve in the Israeli Knesset. I think this is an important statement as to what kind of society we want,” he stated.
Taking a rare course of action, Netanyahu and Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein submitted on Sunday a complaint to the Knesset Ethics Committee.
“I expect all members of the opposition who are also rightly clamoring for justice in this matter to support these proposals,” Netanyahu remarked.
Knesset members Ksenia Svetlova of the opposition Zionist Union party and Amir Ohana of Netanyahu’s Likud have already filed their complaints with the Knesset Ethics Committee against the terror-supporting Arab lawmakers.
By: Max Gelber, United with Israel