Will “only Middle East democracy” expel an Arab MK?
JVL Introduction
Israel likes to tell us it is “the only democracy in the Middle East” and that “Arabs do fine” there – after all they have Arab (sic) Members of the Knesset (the Israeli Parliament). Yet a complaint about a social media post by one of those Palestinian MKs, Ayman Odeh, leader of the left wing Hadash Party, is likely to lead to his expulsion from the Knesset. A fellow (Jewish) Hadash Party member, Ofer Cassif, had already been suspended for six months.
In their Article on this subject from last week, Ha’aretz notes that “Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, Jewish Knesset members have employed brutal language, their remarks being cited in indictments issued by The Hague tribunals accusing Israel of genocide.” But none of this has resulted in threats of expulsion or even suspension. And it seems that the (so called) Opposition seem to be supporting the call for his expulsion. Following public pressure, a support event for MK Odeh in Haifa was canceled
The social media post that led to this, made early in the ceasefire said: “I’m happy to see the hostages and prisoners released. Next we must free both peoples from the burden of the occupation. We were all born free,”
Following public pressure: Support event for MK Odeh in Haifa canceled
LL
This article was originally published by Ha'aretz on Mon 30 Jun 2025. Read the original here.
Knesset Advances Ousting of Israeli Arab MK Ayman Odeh Over Social Media Post
Knesset committee members clashed over Odeh’s comments on a hostage-prisoner deal, with several participants removed from the hearing. Outside, Arab and Jewish Israelis held a rally urging lawmakers to halt the expulsion process
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The Zionist right lost all sense of proportion long ago; but now the madness they are inflicting on the Palestine would seem to be a reflection on their own developing insanity. There is no reasoning with them, and when Trump or Starmer or any of the other appeasers think that an appeal to reason is all that is required to persuade Israel to behave with even the smallest degree of humanity, they are merely showing us how this craziness has infected them. There can be no end to this appallingly wasteful criminality so long as those who have the power to make a difference refuse to treat it as a crime.