Written by the Hadash Coaltion – Hadash is the Electorial Front in Israeli Politics (The Democratic Front for Peace and Equality) and has representation in the Israeli Knesset. WEBSITE HERE
With the support of the opposition, the Knesset committee approved today (Monday) to move forward with the dismissal of MK Ayman Odeh (Hadash). 14 Knesset members voted in favor of the dismissal, and two opposed. In addition to Taha (Ra’am) and Ahmed Tibi (Ta’al), MKs Meirav Ben-Ari and Boaz Toporovsky (Yesh Atid) were not present at the vote. The opposition MKs who voted in favor of the dismissal are Oded Forer (Yisrael Beiteinu), Pnina Tamano-Shata (State Camp) and Simon Davidson (Yesh Atid). The decision is now expected to go to the Knesset plenum – and a majority of 90 MKs is required for its approval. If his dismissal is approved in the plenum, Odeh will be able to go to court and appeal the decision.
After the decision, Odeh said that “the opposition crossed a red line today. Instead of fighting the Kahanist government, it collaborated with them in crushing the democratic space. Some of them hate us more than they love democracy. This is not an opposition, this is a coalition in disguise. And this is the final signature on the nation-state law.” He added, “They want to subdue the judicial system, silence critical voices, and turn Israel into a messianic dictatorship. Today it’s me, tomorrow it’s you. Anyone who dares to oppose will be next in line.”
The chairman of the Democrats, Yair Golan, said that the impeachment is “another victory for the extreme nationalist government over a safe and democratic Israel.” Golan added that “this morning it’s Ayman. this afternoon it’s the broadcasting corporation. tomorrow it’s the legal advisor. the day after tomorrow – you. Wake up.” However, the leader of the opposition and Yesh Atid chairman, MK Yair Lapid, said at the beginning of his faction’s meeting that “this is not against Arab parties, this is personal.” The chairman of the State Camp, MK Benny Gantz, also said at the beginning of his faction’s meeting that he “thinks that Knesset members should not impeach other Knesset members.” Gantz added that he “expects Knesset members, including Arabs, to be responsible for the things they say.” According to him, before the vote in the plenary “we will hold a debate and decide what we do.” MK Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of Yisrael Beiteinu, said that he was happy with the committee’s decision and that “he hopes they will find 90 signatures to impeach him.”
The Knesset committee meeting that began hours after Odeh was dismissed, similar to the meeting held last week, was a clear racist spectacle. The committee chairman, MK Ofir Katz (Likud), said at the beginning of the discussion that “Odeh is not apologizing or retracting his words, but has only intensified his comparison between hostages and terrorists and with serious accusations against IDF soldiers.” During the meeting, Knesset Deputy Speaker MK Nissim Vaturi (Likud) almost physically attacked MK Ofer Kassif (Hadash) during a Knesset committee discussion, who was escorted out by the committee chairman. As he made his way out, Vaturi stood up to hit him. Only the intervention of Knesset ushers prevented the act.
After the commotion between Vattori and Kassif, the discussion resumed. Danny Elgert, whose brother Itzik Elgert was murdered in Hamas captivity, said that “Itzik died, was murdered, had a heart attack during torture during interrogation – because they thought he was a pilot”. Elgert later said that “Netanyahu funded Hamas, not Ayman Odeh”. He added, “I came to defend MK Ayman Odeh and his positions. MK Odeh came to comfort me and you, the right-wing Knesset members – did not come to our house”. Following his remarks, committee chairman Katz removed him from the meeting.
It should be noted that the Knesset Counsel, Attorney Sagit Afik, argued in the hearing that there is not enough evidence to justify Odeh’s dismissal, as well as a strong enough legal basis for the dismissal to stand the test of the High Court of Justice. “Since our matter concerns a single statement, for this reason alone it can be argued that the request is not based on a significant mass of clear evidence of support for an armed struggle, of the dominance of this support, or of the fact that MK Odeh is working to realize the support in a real and consistent manner, and even this fact in itself raises doubts as to whether it is sufficient to establish the existence of the cause,” she said.
The representative of the Legal Counsel to the Government, Adv. Avital Sompolinsky, agreed with Adv. Afik’s opinion and said, “There is a gap between a statement that arouses disgust, but does not meet the required standard, and impeachment. The request was not amended and is based on a single statement. In our opinion, it does not reveal grounds for impeachment. This is an outrageous statement that has no place and should be examined in an ethical context.” Adv. Dr. Hassan Jaberin, defense attorney for MK Odeh, said in the hearing that it should be held “on the basis of a relevant factual foundation.” According to him, “No signed request was submitted to discuss the additional quotes, and therefore I repeat that I am not aware of any other quotes. There is no critical mass here.”
During the impeachment debate, a demonstration was held in front of the Knesset with the participation of hundreds of Jews and Arabs against the fascist persecution of opponents of the war. The demonstration was held at the initiative of the “Peace Partnership,” and featured prominent participation from Hadash, Maki, Tandi activists, and forces opposed to the occupation and the war. Prominent among the participants were the chairman of the Monitoring Committee, Muhammad Baraka, former Hadash Knesset members Dr. Hanna Swed and Dr. Dov Hanin, and the chairman of Balad, former MK Sami Abu Shehadeh.
The speakers expressed their opposition to the attempted impeachment, calling it part of a fascist persecution against the Arab public and against the Arab-Jewish forces opposing the war of hunger and extermination in Gaza. They warned of the deepening of fascism in Israeli society. They emphasized the need to insist on and hold principled positions against the war and occupation and the refusal to surrender to the dictates of the extreme right, and called for increased activity against the war in Gaza, the closest of which is a convoy of cars that will end with a demonstration near the border with Gaza this coming Saturday. The Knesset committee is currently continuing its discussion of the impeachment of MK Odeh, and if it approves it, the issue will be brought to a vote in the plenum within three weeks.
Last night, at the initiative of the Hadash branch in Haifa, another rally was held in support of MK Odeh, which was moved from the courtyard of the “Mishlet al-Moshava” cafe in the German Colony to a public square on Ben Gurion Boulevard after the business owner received threats from the far right.
“The main problem is the ideology of Jewish supremacy,” Odeh said. “We have not moved one bit from our correct historical positions,” he added to hundreds of rally participants, Jews and Arabs. “The one who has moved is the current fascist Knesset. The one who has moved is Israeli politics that has moved to the right to fascism. We stand firm. The fascists and racists do not believe that there is a Palestinian people, do not believe that there is an occupation, do not believe that the Palestinian people have the right to fight the occupation.” He called on “parts of the opposition that collaborate with the fascist right” to back down, and concluded with words about “human positions that seek the true interest of both peoples, to live in peace, is there anything more beautiful than peace? To live in equality and to live in democracy and social justice – is there anything better than that?”
Dr. Ilan Saban from the Faculty of Law at Haifa University said of the impeachment attempt, “This is a sham trial,” adding, “This procedure bypasses all the mechanisms of accusing someone of something with a basis – without a police investigation, without an opinion from a state attorney or the legal advisor, who says there is a problem with things. We don’t need that.” It is enough that members of Knesset want to.” Hadash Secretary in Haifa, Rim Hazan, emphasized that the demonstrators came to protest not only against the attempted impeachment of MK Odeh, but “against all attempts to suppress and erase the voice that opposes wars, killing, and starvation.” According to her, “We are here, Haifa men and women, anti-fascist activists and for true democracy.” A protest vigil against the impeachment was also held yesterday in New York City with the participation of dozens of demonstrators, including the city’s state comptroller, Brad Lander, who participated in the Democratic Party’s primary elections for mayor last week and lost. He later announced his support for the winning candidate, the young socialist Zohran Mamdani.
Among the members of the Knesset, Ahmed Tibi from the Hadash-Ta’al faction and MK Walid Taha from Ra’am announced yesterday that they would boycott the opposition faction meeting that is expected to be held today, “in protest of cooperation between opposition factions and the Likud, religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit – with the aim of ousting an Arab MK, Ayman Odeh, for a tweet he published expressing joy over the hostage deal.” They added that this is political persecution and crossing a moral red line and that “instead of protecting freedom of expression, most of the opposition factions are joining the extremist coalition in order to silence Arab elected officials.”
original post can be found here.