Israeli parliament committee advances expulsion of Arab Israeli parliamentarian over social media post

Arab News

4 hours ago

LONDON: An Israeli parliamentary committee has advanced a motion to expel Arab-Israeli Knesset member Ayman Odeh over a social media post in which he called for freedom for Israelis and Palestinians.
Odeh, a veteran member of the Knesset and head of the Hadash-Ta'al party, faced a second hearing on Monday. In a heated session, lawmakers, including members of the opposition Yesh Atid and National Unity parties, voted 14-2 in favor of advancing impeachment proceedings.
'The opposition crossed a red line today,' Odeh said in a statement after the vote. 'Instead of fighting the Kahanist government, it collaborated with them in crushing democratic space. Some of them hate us more than they love democracy.
'This is not an opposition — it is a coalition in disguise. And this is the final signature on the Nation-State Law,' he said, referring to the 2018 legislation that officially defines Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people.
The motion targeted a January post in which Odeh welcomed the release of Palestinian security prisoners as part of a hostage exchange deal with Hamas.
'I'm happy to see the hostages and prisoners released,' Odeh wrote in the social media post cited in the motion filed by Likud Knesset member Avichay Boaron. 'Next we must free both peoples from the burden of the occupation. We were all born free,' the post concluded.
Committee chairman Ofir Katz, a Likud member of the Knesset, said at the start of the hearing that 'Odeh has not apologized or retracted his statements, he's only doubled down, equating hostages with terrorists and making serious accusations against IDF soldiers.'
The hearing unfolded in a tense atmosphere, with two Knesset members reportedly ejected after clashing with other committee members while defending Odeh, according to Israeli outlet Haaretz.
Outside the Knesset, Arab and Jewish Israelis gathered in a protest in support of Odeh, calling for the expulsion process to be halted.
The final decision now moves to the Knesset floor, where a two-thirds majority — 90 out of 120 lawmakers — is required to remove a sitting member. Odeh would retain the right to appeal the decision in court.
Despite repeated attacks by coalition lawmakers, including accusations of being a 'terrorist' who 'would face a firing squad' elsewhere, Odeh has appealed to the opposition to block the motion and prevent what he calls an erosion of democratic norms.
Knesset members Ahmad Tibi (Hadash-Ta'al) and Walid Taha (United Arab List), both members of the Joint List, called the move 'political persecution' and a dangerous precedent.
'Instead of defending freedom of expression, most opposition factions are aligning with the extremist coalition to silence Arab elected officials.'