Sixty-six members of the Knesset have signed a petition calling for MK and head of the Hadash-Ta’al parliamentary group, Ayman Odeh, to be expelled from the Knesset.

MK Ayman Odeh (second from right) during the massive protest held last Saturday, at the city of Umm el-Fahm against violence and crime in the Arab-Palestinian society in Israel, February 8, 2025 (Photo: Al-Ittihad)

The signatories cited a post by Odeh on X last month, in which he expressed happiness at the release of Israeli captives and Palestinians as part of a ceasefire-prisoner swap deal between Hamas and Israel. “From here, the sons of both peoples must be freed from the occupation. Because we were all born free,” he wrote.

According to Israeli law, if the number of signatories reaches 70, the exclusion procedures can begin, with Odeh having to appear before the Knesset Committee and the General Assembly for questioning and if the number of signatories reach 90, the decision will go to the Supreme Court, which will have the final say.

Responding to the petition, Odeh said, while he adheres to his humanitarian position, the ruling establishment in Israel sees the Jewish people as distinct from other peoples. “This is pure racism. For many years, I have been repeating clearly and methodically that I am against harming any innocent civilian, but of course, the Palestinian people have the right to resist the occupation, and I always emphasize in this context that the occupation is the root of evil,” he added.

Hadash and the Communist Party of Israel (CPI) have categorically rejected the campaign of persecution waged against Odeh, saying it reflects “the ruling establishment’s spite over failing to achieve Gaza war goals.” Hadash and CPI said it stands with Odeh and called on democratic Jewish groups to confront this fascism which aims to delegitimize Arab citizens so the far-right can further control the government and continue its anti-democratic coup.

Related: https://maki.org.il/en/?p=32403