Likud MK Avichai Boaron submitted Wednesday, May 4, a list with 70 signatures from lawmakers to the Knesset as required by law, to initiate the process of impeaching Hadash MK Ayman Odeh. According to the law enacted in 2016, initiating a process to remove an MK requires the support of 70 MKs, of whom at least ten are from the opposition.
MK Ayman Odeh before he was forcefully removed from the podium in the Knesset, May 21, 2025 (Photo: Knesset)
This move comes in response to statements Odeh made about three months ago expressing support for a comprehensive prisoner exchange deal involving the release of both Palestinian detainees and Israeli hostages. He also declared at a recent “Partnership for Peace” demonstration in Haifa on last Saturday, that “Gaza will triumph over the policy of war and destruction,” and that “the Palestinian people will defeat the occupation.”
In response, Odeh stated that he “stands proudly” behind his humanitarian stance, which calls for an immediate end to the war and a comprehensive political agreement. He emphasized that “the Palestinian people’s victory over the occupation is a historical inevitability” and that his views “reflect a human conscience and are supported by the vast majority of the world’s people.”
Odeh also criticized the petition’s signatories for their silence on the killing of children in Gaza, noting that some of them “called for Gaza to be completely wiped out.” He declared in a press statement: “I will stand firm—alongside national forces and every democratic, conscientious individual—and we will face this rabid campaign with confidence and deep conviction.”
“The move to expel me from the Knesset is part of a broader campaign of political persecution, led by the far right in a desperate attempt to secure a total victory for Kahanism in the upcoming elections. The fact that members of the opposition chose to join this effort and helped gather the 70 required signatures is nothing less than full cooperation with the Likud’s orchestrated campaign”, he said on X.
According to Odeh, “Since the war began, we’ve heard incitement for genocide from coalition MK, yet not a single one of them was expelled. But when an Arab member of the parliament dares to speak the truth, to pierce through the wall of silence surrounding this fascist government’s criminal policies, they rush to silence him. This is a dangerous attempt to seize control over the boundaries of public discourse, to effectively strip the Arab citizens of Israel of their right to political representation and equality, and to suppress voter turnout in Arab communities. It is the first step on a dark path toward dismantling free elections and erasing the principle of equality before the law. But I will not be silent. And I am not afraid. I am not afraid, because I know I am not alone. With me stand hundreds of thousands of Jews and Arabs, united in the struggle to stop this war and build a better future for both our peoples.”
“I will keep fighting, for an end to the war, for a comprehensive deal, for an end to the occupation, for peace between our two peoples, for justice, for equality, and for the right of Arab citizens to vote and be elected with heads held high. Because today it’s me, and tomorrow it’s you.”
Related: https://maki.org.il/en/?p=32714
