House Committee debates ousting MK Ayman Odeh over post equating hostage and prisoner releases; heated session sees Likud MK accuse Odeh of siding with Israel’s enemies.
The Knesset House Committee convened on Tuesday to discuss the request to terminate the term of MK Ayman Odeh (Hadash).
The request was submitted by MK Avichay Buaron (Likud), in line with Chapter 4 of the Knesset Law, which demands the signatures of 70 Knesset members, including at least ten from the opposition.
The discussion focused on a post by MK Odeh that read: “I’m happy for the release of hostages and prisoners. From here, we must free both nations from the yoke of occupation. We were all born free.”
The discussion saw fierce exchanges of words. The committee chairman, MK Ofir Katz (Likud), said to MK Odeh: “You’re an arch terrorist. In Iran, they would have hanged and stoned you in the town square.” He added: “Israel is fighting on seven fronts, Ayman Odeh is the eighth.”
In his letter to the Speaker of the Knesset, MK Buaron wrote: “In his remarks, MK Odeh equates innocent Israeli citizens who were abducted solely for being Israelis and Jews with vile terrorists whose sole purpose is to kill and murder Jews and Israeli citizens. Odeh’s statements constitute clear support for terrorism, glorify those murderous terrorists, and cannot be whitewashed with empty words and false pretenses.”
If a three-quarters majority of the committee approves Buaron’s request, it will move on to approval by the Knesset plenary, where a 90 MK majority will be required to end the MK’s term. The dismissed MK has the right to appeal the dismissal to the Supreme Court.
