Chaos erupted in the Knesset, Wednesday night, July 17, during a speech by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, nearly escalating into a violent incident. The speech, which dealt with a proposal to establish a commission of inquiry into the Umm al-Hiran affair, was interrupted by Knesset members Ayman Odeh, Ahmad Tibi, and others from the Hadash-Ta’al faction.

MK Ayman Odeh on the ground after having been injured by cops in the clashes at Umm al-Hiran, January 18, 2017 (Photo: Al Ittihad)

In response, Ben-Gvir shouted, “Terrorists out!” The Hadah-Ta’al members continued to shout at him and approached the podium. As Knesset ushers arrived, MK Hanoch Milvitzky (Likud) moved toward them but was restrained by security guards.

Ben-Gvir is a settler in the occupied West Bank, whose political and ideological lies in Kahanism – a violently racist movement that supports the expulsion of Palestinians from their land. He has a long history of anti-Arab activism leading to dozens of indictments and at least eight convictions of crimes including incitement to racism, possession of propaganda for a terrorist organization and support for a terrorist organization.

Earlier from the Knesset podium, MK Aida Touma-Sliman called upon “all states to recognize the Palestinian state today! This is the only way to save both peoples from the fascist, extreme government currently ruling the country, which seeks to impose a colonialist and apartheid regime.”

Hadash-Ta’al faction demanded to establish a commission of inquiry into the Umm al-Hiran affair, the evacuation of the Arab-Bedouin village in the Negev, on January 18, 2017.

The evacuation of Umm al-Hiran did not take place at the time of the incident because of a violent protest, in which a police officer, Erez Levi, and a resident of the community, the teacher Yacoub Musa Abu al-Qee’an, were killed. During the protests MK Odeh was injured by cops and hospitalized at the Soroka Medical Center in Beer Sheva. 

Related: Posts on Umm al-Hiran