Far-right Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a rare speech on Monday evening, November 18, to the Knesset as part of a special session demanded by forty MKs. The relatives of the hostages arrived in the visitors’ gallery and held up pictures of their loved ones and yellow ribbons. The hostage’s brother, Dany Elgart, who is on a hunger strike, fainted. Netanyahu’s speech was interrupted again and again, and many MKs were removed from the hall.
Hadash MK Ayman Odeh removed from the podium at plenum session with far-right Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, November 18, 2024 (Photo: Haim Goldberg / Flash 90)
“The strategy is victory, and victory is the return of the hostages. I hear the voices that express doubt and weakness. It’s not an easy decision because we are required to take the decision and make the decision. We have laid out the entire effort, and I express my appreciation to the US. We need to improve our independent operational capability, but I did not tell Biden ‘No surprises.’ I say yes when possible, and not, when necessary,” Netanyahu said.
Earlier Hadash-Ta’al chair MK Ayman Odeh criticized the Israeli occupation army operations in the Gaza Strip and called the Prime Minister “a serial peace killer,” in the presence of Netanyahu. In response, Chairman MK Amir Ohana (Likud) ordered him removed by force from the plenum.
“There are 17,385 babies in Gaza which your system has killed, of those 825 are under the age of a year,” Odeh said. “There are 35,055 babies orphaned in Gaza. The blood of all of them will haunt you,” he added. Far-right members of the Knesset reacting strongly to his remarks, before three men forced him away from the podium.
Last week, the Knesset’s Ethics Committee decided to remove Hadash lawmaker Ofer Cassif, a leading member of the Communist Party of Israel, from plenary meetings and Knesset committee meetings for a period of six months. The committee also decided that his salary will be suspended for two weeks during the period of his suspension.
MK Ayman Odeh’s speech at the plenum (Hebrew and Arabic):
https://www.facebook.com/AymanOdeh1975/videos/3048328901990063
Related: https://maki.org.il/en/?p=32235
