Knesset Committee approves proposal to oust MK Ayman Odeh by a 14-2 vote, with backing from coalition members and several opposition parties, after his refusal to denounce Hamas and Hezbollah as terror groups.
The Knesset Committee voted on Monday afternoon, with a majority of 14 MKs against 2 opponents, in favor of ousting MK Ayman Odeh.
All representatives of the coalition parties supported the proposal, along with representatives from Yisrael Beytenu, Yesh Atid, and the National Unity Party.
The dismissal procedure will be brought to the Knesset plenum within three weeks, where a majority of 90 MKs will be required to finalize it.
The initiator of the discussion, MK Avichai Boaron, stated: “Throughout all the deliberations, he neither apologized nor retracted his statements—in fact, he repeated them. He refuses to recognize Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist organizations. One cannot separate his remarks from the broader context, and therefore I am confident the decision will pass with a large majority in the Knesset plenum.”
Committee Chairman Ofir Katz added: “In a proper country, Ayman Odeh would be rotting in jail and stripped of his citizenship. I sincerely hope Yesh Atid and the National Unity Party won’t backtrack or play a double game when this reaches the plenum. Ayman Odeh must be kicked out.”
