Following that meeting, MK Odeh stated, âI met with UN Secretary-General Guterres. I thanked him for his principled stances during this difficult time and made it clear that the war of destruction in Gaza must be ended through a comprehensive deal. I emphasized that there is no solution other than ending the occupation and establishing a Palestinian state alongside the State of Israel. It is the duty of the international community to recognize this right, and the UN plays a pivotal role in correcting this historical injustice.â He stressed, âThere is no other way but the path of peace and justice.â
Archiv: Ayman Odeh
Hundreds Protest in Lod Against Crime in Arab Community; Anti-Government Rallies Nationwide
(June 14, 2026)
In Tel Aviv, approximately 1,000 demonstrators gathered at Habima Square. At the protest held at the Horev Center in Haifa, activist Nava Rozilio declared in her speech âIn spite of the far-right government, there will be democracy here, there will be the rule of law, and Jews and Arabs will live here in full equality. In spite of them, Israel will return to striving for peace instead of drowning in war.â
A joint demonstration of religious and secular citizens against the government also took place at the Ein HaNatziv junction near Beit Sheâan. This followed an incident the previous week where fascist counterprotesters passing by cursed and attacked the demonstrators. Additional protests were held across the country, including at the Karkur, Tzemach, and Gomeh junctions in the Galilee, as well as in Rosh Pina, Karmiel, Nahariya, the Beer Sheva Performing Arts Center, Elyakim Bridge, Haogen junction, Rehovot, Herzliya, Kfar Saba, the Kabri junction in the Western Galilee and Afula.
Hadash: No to Netanyahuâs Eternal War
(June 8, 2026)
âThe time has come to stop providing automatic backing for destructive policies that lead to endless bloodshed, and instead fight for diplomatic agreements, true security, and peace. No to war with Iran. No to Netanyahuâs eternal war.â
According to Hadash MK Ayman Odeh, âWar is the last resort for those who have no answers. War is the last resort of those who fear facing reality. And no one fears reality more than the Israeli government and large segments of the opposition, who repeatedly rush to align themselves behind the government, even attempting to outflank from the right the most right-wing and dangerous government in the countryâs history.â
âWere they truly brave, rather than warmongers, they would call for an immediate halt to the escalation and present an alternative to the public. And the alternative is clear: a peaceful agreement that ensures security for all peoples in the region and respects the national rights of both nations living on this land. It is impossible to keep running away from this issue. It is impossible to keep fearing to speak the truth. It is impossible to keep falling for the illusion that more wars will bring security. Therefore, I say here in the clearest possible way: No to war with Iran. No to the eternal war. Yes, to a peaceful agreement. Yes, to a different, safer, and more just future for all of us,â he agreed.
The Bill to Dissolve the Knesset Passed Its Preliminary Reading; MK Odeh: âThe Evil Govt is Ending its Pathâ
Earlier, a similar bill to dissolve the Knesset, introduced by the Hadash faction, was debated but failed, with 52 opposition lawmakers voting in favor and 61 against. âThe worst government ever, responsible for bloodshed on a horrific scale, is coming to an end,â MK Ayman Odeh stated in the Knesset plenum while presenting his factionâs bill. âWe are at a historic crossroads,â he emphasized
MK Odeh: Will do Everything to Prevent Smotrich-Netanyahu-Ben Gvir from Continuing in Power
Smotrichâs comments drew immediate condemnation from the opposition, with Raâam chairman Mansour Abbas asserting that âhuman life holds no value in his eyesâ. MK Ayman Odeh, the chairman of Hadash-Taâal parliamentary faction, also slammed Smotrich, declaring on X that âwhat the racists and Kahanists say is not important, what matters is what we will do.â âAnd we, the Arab citizens, together with the democratic Jews, will do everything, simply everything, to prevent Smotrich-Netanyahu-Ben Gvir from continuing to another term,â Odeh wrote.
Outrage After Israeli Soldier Smashing Jesus Statue in Lebanon
Commenting on social media, Hadash-Taâal chair MK Ayman Odeh wrote pointedly: âWeâll wait to hear the police spokesperson claim that âthe soldier felt threatened by Jesusâ.â
MK Odeh After Cease-Fire was Announced: âNetanyahu is a Liar and an International Pyromaniacâ
On Wednesday morning, Hadash MK Ofer Cassif said, âCongratulations to the brilliant duo, Orange & Purple, on their impressive list of achievements (economic, strategic & political), culminating in finding the lost key to the Strait of Hormuz. We warned from the very beginning that this was nothing more than a futile and pointless war of deception that would only lead to bloodshed, widowhood, orphanhood, and devastation, without achieving anything. No to occupation, yes to peace.â
According to Hadash MK Ayman Odeh, âIsrael should learn three main lessons from the war: To recognize the limitations of power. There is no stability in the region without Israeli-Palestinian peace and Netanyahu is a liar and an international pyromaniac,â he wrote.
Four Arrested in Protest at Knesset Against Death Penalty Law for Palestinians, Petitions to Supreme Court
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) filed a petition with the Supreme Court demanding the repeal of the âDeath Penalty for Terrorists Lawâ, minutes after it passed its second and third readings in the Knesset. On Tuesday morning, Adalah â The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI), HaMoked: Center for the Defense of the Individual, Physicians for Human Rights and Gisha, together with Hadash-Taâal MKs Aida Touma-Sliman, Ayman Odeh, and Ahmed Tibi, filed a second urgent petition to the Israeli Supreme Court, demanding that the âDeath Penalty for Terrorists Lawâ be declared null and void. The petitioners argue that the law represents a complete negation of the right to life and imposes cruel and inhuman punishment.
Hadash MKs Visited Bani Odeh Childrenâs, Their Parents and Two Young Brothers Were Murdered by Occupation Soldiers
(March 19, 2026)
Hadash MK Ayman Odeh, Ofer Cassif and Aida Touma-Sliman visited on Tuesday evening, March 17, Khaled and Mustafa Bani Odeh whose parents and their two young children were murdered by occupation forces on last Saturday, demands justice and above all demands an end to the occupation âfor as long as the occupation continues crimes like these are not rare, they are a part of our daily lives.â
The Palestinian man, his wife, and their two children were killed after midnight by Israeli occupation forces in the town of Tammun, south of Tubas, while their two other children were injured by shrapnel. WAFA reported that Israeli special forces infiltrated the town, followed by military reinforcements arriving from the Ein Shibli checkpoint and the Tayasir checkpoint.
Forces opened fire on a vehicle, killing Ali Khaled Bani Odeh, 37, his wife Waad Othman Bani Odeh, 35, and their two children, Mohammed, 5, and Othman, 7. Their other two children, Mustafa, 8, and Khaled, 11, sustained minor shrapnel injuries to the head and face. The Palestine Red Crescent Society said Israeli forces prevented its crews from reaching the injured inside the vehicle and forced them to leave the area before later allowing them to retrieve the four bodies â a man, a woman, and two children â along with the two injured children.
Hadash Strongly Denounce Israelâs Illegal Annexation Measures in the Occupied West Bank
Hadash condemned the illegal Israeli measures approved by the far-right Israeli government to entrench and expand settlements in the occupied West Bank. A spokesperson for Hadash said that the proposed significant changes to territory, implementation, and administrative powers in the occupied West Bank would undermine efforts to achieve peace and stability. He added that the Hadashâs position is clear, âany unilateral attempt to alter the geographic and demographic composition of Palestine is completely unacceptable and contrary to international law.â The statement called on the occupying authorities to immediately reverse these decisions, stressing that the two-state solution remains the only viable path to lasting peace.
According to Hadash MK Ayman Odeh, the government is racing against time to impose strategic realities on the ground before the upcoming parliamentary elections. Odeh indicated that the primary goal is to definitively rule out the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state and prevent it permanently through intensified settlement and silent displacement.
Polls: Joint List Wins 14-15 Seats
Polls show the Joint List gaining strength and win 14 to 15 seats in the next Knesset. Wednesdayâs Channel 13 survey sees far-right PM Netanyahuâs Likud party gaining one seat and the Jont List win 15. As with previous surveys, without the Joint List partiesâ support, both blocs fall short of securing the required 61-seat majority to form a ruling coalition
According to another poll, published on Thursday by the Zman Israel website, Joint list of Hadash and three Arab parties would win 14 of the Knessetâs 120 seats if elections were held today, continuing to prevent a parliamentary majority from the Zionist opposition parties.
Return of Joint List Takes Seats from Zionist Opposition
The Zionist opposition bloc achieves 57 seats, while the coalition bloc has 51, with the Joint List in the middle and the poll indicates that the opposition will not be able to form a government without the support of the Joint List. 48% of opposition voters support a government that would be externally supported by the Joint List. 37% oppose the move, and 15% answered that they do not know.
Hadash MK Ayman Odeh, said Friday during a meeting that âHadash and Arab parties are moving to form a unified joint list to confront the fascist government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the upcoming elections.â âThese elections are not just about arithmetic. They are a political and ethical battle to prevent the continuation of Netanyahuâs policies and those of his far-right extremist ministers,â added.
Israel: Arab parties agree to revive Joint List ahead of Knesset election
„The Joint List could become the second or third largest party in the Knesset in terms of size and representation, forming a parliamentary bloc capable of achieving far more than any small party acting alone,“ he added.
Efforts to re-establish the Joint List have been underway for some time. In August, The Times of Israel reported that party leaders were holding talks aimed at reviving the alliance, amid frustration over Israelâs war on Gaza and a desire to increase the political influence of Palestinian citizens of Israel.
Palestinian parties in Israel agree to revive Joint List ahead of elections
The pledge document, entitled „Joint List Now“, was signed by Sami Abu Shehadeh, head of the National Democratic Assembly (Balad); Ayman Odeh, head of the Hadash alliance; Ahmad Tibi, head of the Arab Movement for Change (Taâal); and Mansour Abbas, head of the United Arab List (Raâam).
The parties first formed the Joint List in 2015 to run on a shared platform representing Palestinian citizens of Israel.
MK Odeh Says Hadash Will Oppose Haredi Draft Bill
MK Ayman Odeh tells journalists that his Hadash front will not support the far-right governmentâs proposed bill to regulate ultra-Orthodox enlistment, stating that âthere will be no scenario in which Hadash-Taâal faction will support, be absent, abstain, or act in any way that could be interpreted as a lifeline for the government.â âWe want to create complications for the government; we want to shorten its days. Anything that helps bring down the government â HadashâTaâal will support,â he added.
Hadash: No Pardon for Genocide War
According to Hadash MK Ayman Odeh: âIt is expected of every person to understand that this move by Netanyahu is intended for one purpose: that you talk about it⊠and not talk about the execution in Jenin by Ben Gvirâs platoons, not about the targeted elimination of the two children on Sunday in Gaza, not about the regime coup, not about the budget that will harm each and every one of you, not about the political violence, not about the ethnic cleansing, not about the unbearable crime and murder in Arab society, and not about the economic and social situation thatâs at an unprecedented lowâŠthat you talk about the âpardonâ that is imagined, but that you do not talk about the abandonment, the destruction, or about the simple fact that Netanyahu is a war criminal, and should stand trial in The Hagueâ.
MK Odeh in Berlin: Germany â Recognize Palestine
According to Odeh, âEvery hostage returned from Gaza is a victory. Every child and family who survived Gaza is a victory. But that is not the victory Netanyahu wants.â He said, âWhat has been achieved and at what price? Palestinian cities have been erased from the map. Tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza were killed, including 20,000 children. Hundreds of thousands were left without homes. This is not a victory. This is devastation,â and called on âthose responsible for crimes against humanityâ to be held accountable.
âThe Israeli state was already like Sparta â now it has become a super Sparta. If this is victory, what does defeat look like?â Odeh wondered. Odeh also urged Germany to recognize a Palestinian state, saying that the only request he had of U.S. President Donald Trump when he came to address Israelâs Knesset in October was to recognize a Palestinian state. âSo, I ask you too: Germany â recognize Palestine! Recognize that there are two people in our shared homeland, both with the right to self-determination,â he cried out, to great applause.
Regarding Germany, Odeh said that Berlin âcarries the scars of the 20th century and stands as a living reminder of how far human cruelty can go when power is absolute. When racism is normalized and people are dehumanized. But a city like Berlin can be both a graveyard for history, resistance culture and rebirth,â he said. Odeh also said the history of Berlin teaches that âsilence in the face of injustice is deadly. It was silence that made the greatest crime of the century possible. And yet, today we see silence return, dressed up in diplomatic language.â
Odeh urges opposition factions to work together to topple Netanyahuâs government âas soon as possibleâ
Hadash-Taâal chairman Ayman Odeh calls on fellow opposition factions to join together to topple Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuâs government âas soon as possible.â
Addressing reporters ahead of his partyâs weekly faction meeting in the Knesset, Odeh says that the government has three aims during the current parliamentary session, âharming the West BankâŠpromoting the judicial coupâŠand preventing the Arab population from running in the next elections.â
Who are Israel Parliament members Ayman Odeh, Ofer Cassif who showed ârecognise Palestineâ sign to Trump?
Ayman Odeh, who is 50 and lists himself as an atheist (he was born in a Muslim family), leads the Arab-Jewish Hadash party that‘s part of the Joint List political group.
Hadash is considered a left-wing coalition formed by the Communist Party of Israel (Maki) and other like-minded groups.
Ofer Cassif, who is Jewish, is 60. He has represented Hadash in the Knesset since April 2019.
Hadash party leader Ayman Odeh and party member Ofer Cassif interrupt President Trump‘s speech
Left-wing Hadash party leader Ayman Odeh and party member Ofer Cassif interrupt President Trump‘s speech, yelling and holding a sign that says „Recognize a Palestinian state,“ and are forcefully removed from the Knesset by security.
Abbas Receives Israeli Peace Activists, Welcomes Ceasefire Agreement
At the end of the meeting, President Abbas renewed his welcome to the visiting delegation and emphasized the importance of meetings in building bridges of trust between the Palestinian and Israeli sides. He expressed hope that this meeting would mark the beginning of a new path, not only in politics, but also in the shared human conscience between the two sides. President Abbas called on the delegation members to form a popular Israeli front for a just peace that would make the voice of reason heard within Israeli society.
MK Odeh to Submit Bill to Knesset to Recognize Palestinian State
âI welcome the decision of the UK, France, Australia, Canada and other countries to recognize a Palestinian state,â he wrote in X, adding that the Palestinian people are no better or worse than anyone else, but nevertheless deserve the right to self-determination. âOn the first day of the winter session, I will place on the Knesset table a bill to recognize a Palestinian state. Because there are two people here, and the State of Israel must also recognize this simple fact.â
Hadash MK Aida Touma-Sliman told The Jerusalem Post that the recognition of a Palestinian state by âWestern powers is an important step, but it is not enough, too little too late.â Touma-Sliman said that Palestinian state recognition âmust be the beginning of a serious pressure campaign on Israel and its backers in the White House, including economic measures and arms embargoes.â âThe world knows that the destruction of Gaza must end, and a Palestinian state must be established alongside Israel. It is time for action,â she said.
U.S. Bans Visas for PA Ahead of UN General Assembly; âTrump Is an Enemy of Palestineâ
According to Hadash MK Ayman Odeh, âIn the end, only Israel and the US, perhaps along with Micronesia, will stand alone on the international stage, trying to defy the will of the majority of the worldâs nations. Trumpâs decision to prevent the Palestinians from participating in the UN General Assembly is yet another direct attack on the international order. But it doesnât really change anything: the Palestinian people have the right to self-determination, just like any other people in the world. The whole world knows this and supports this fundamental right, and everyone who believes in justice and peace stands with the Palestinian people, now, more than ever.â
âTrumpâs decision to ban Palestinians from the UN summit in New York is a full and direct attack on the UN and the international order. The US is an enemy of the Palestinian cause and is fully supportive of the genocidal settler Israeli government. The rest of the world, the UN, and all peace-loving peoples must resist this attack and stand by the Palestinian people. If it be â the UN conference should be held in Europeâ, Hadash MK Aida Touma-Sliman agreed,
Adalah: Policeâs Failure to Investigate Attempted Lynch of MK Odeh
Upon MK Odehâs arrival, dozens of rioters attacked his car and shouted racist slogans such as âDeath to Arabs.â When MK Odeh spoke at the protest, he was attacked again, together with the other demonstrators, as various objects were thrown at them. Following his speech, MK Odeh managed to reach his car, while rioters armed with stones and sticks tried to attack him. At one point, the rioters hurled a large stone that shattered the vehicleâs rear windshield. After these events, the police arrested only three people: one of whom was a demonstrator who had been attacked by the rioters; he was released shortly thereafter at the police station. The court later released the two other individuals who were arrested and detained.
Following these events, right-wing activists uploaded dozens of posts and videos on social media platforms praising, sympathizing and encouraging these assaults; some even explicitly called for repeating such acts in the future.
With only 73 votes in favor, motion to expel Hadash-Taâal chair Ayman Odeh fails to pass
The petition was put forth in January, when Odeh said he was âhappy for the release of hostages and prisonersâ as part of the Gaza truce that was signed that month. The petition clinched the required number of signatures after Odeh said at an anti-war protest in Haifa in May that âGaza has won and Gaza will win.â
Both United Torah Judaism and Benny Gantzâs Blue and WhiteâNational Unity party boycott the vote, while Opposition Leader Yair Lapid and most of his Yesh Atid partyâs MKs are absent as well.
The measure is supported by the coalition and by opposition party Yisrael Beytenu. The Democrats vote against it.
Senators Bernie Sanders, Peter Welch and Chris Van Hollen in Solidarity with Odeh
(16 hours ago)
âWe strongly condemn the effort to expel MK Ayman Odeh from the Israeli Knesset,â the US senators said. âIf Israel is going to call itself a democracy, it must tolerate peaceful dissent.â The senators linked the expulsion effort to Odehâs calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, an end to Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, and a political solution between Israelis and Palestinians.
âFor over a decade, MK Odeh has been a leading advocate for peace, justice, and Jewish-Arab partnership,â they said. âThe current expulsion effort is a direct response to MK Odehâs outspoken and brave calls.â The lawmakers described the move as sending âa chilling message to millions of Palestinian citizens of Israel: that their representation is conditional and their rights revocable.â âWe stand in solidarity with MK Odeh and with the right of all lawmakers, Arab and Jewish, to speak freely and without fear of political retribution,â they said.
Hearings on Ousting Attorney General and Top Hadash MK Both Scheduled for July 14
Two political explosive hearings have been scheduled by the far right and racist coalition for July 14, in proceedings that could both set historical precedents. On that day, the Knesset will meet to vote on expelling Hadash-Taâal faction chair Ayman Odeh from parliament, while a ministerial committee is also scheduled to hold a hearing on firing embattled Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara.
The Knesset vs Ayman Odeh
On Monday, the Knesset House Committee voted to impeach Palestinian parliamentarian Ayman Odeh, head of the predominantly Arab Hadash-Taâal list. His crime? In January, as the two-month Gaza ceasefire came into effect, Odeh tweeted: âI am happy about the release of the [Israeli] hostages and [Palestinian] prisoners. From here, both peoples must be freed from the yoke of the occupation. We were all born free.â
As I watched the committeeâs hearing, I felt like my eyes were bleeding. It was physically unbearable. Knesset members from across the political spectrum â who arenât worthy of the dust on Odehâs shoes when it comes to humanism, morality, and democratic integrity â competed to see who could spew the vilest rhetoric against him.
No one paid attention to the Knessetâs legal adviser â who, after the obligatory lip service condemning Odehâs âdisgusting statements,â concluded that there was no legal basis for his impeachment. And it goes without saying that no one listened to Odehâs attorney, Dr. Hassan Jabareen, who explained why the proposal was procedurally flawed, legally unsound, and morally bankrupt.
From the first sentence to the last, the hearing was a farce.
MK Ayman Odeh decries Knesset House Committee as ‚fascist‘ after impeachment vote
The impeachment was not just a response to specific statements but directed against âOdeh as a person and everything he represents,â Boaron said in his closing argument. At the end of the hearing, committee chairman Ofir Katz (Likud) said Odeh was a âbitter enemyâ of Israel, and in a ânormal country,â he would ârot in jail.â
Only Raâam MK Waleed Taha and Hadash-Taâal MK Ahmad Tibi voted against his impeachment.
Israeli Knesset committee approves motion to impeach Arab lawmaker Ayman Odeh
The motion will now move to the Knessetâs plenary session for a majority vote of 90 members out of 120 to complete Odehâs impeachment.
Even if his impeachment is approved, the Arab MK will still be able to file a petition against the decision with the Supreme Court.
Palestinians of 1948 (Arabs inside Israel) constitute 21% of Israelâs nearly 10 million population.
Panel votes to impeach Arab MK Ayman Odeh, paving way for possible ouster from Knesset
While a similar effort to oust Hadash-Taâal MK Ofer Cassif failed in the Knesset plenum in February 2024 due to insufficient support from the opposition, opposition representatives on the committee were very much in favor of the motion this time around, with both Yesh Atid MK Simon Davidson and National Unity lawmaker Pnina Tamano-Shata voting in favor of impeachment.
Attempted removal of Ayman Odeh from the Israeli Knesset
EDM (Early Day Motion) 695: tabled on 24 January 2025
Tabled in the 2024-25 session.
This motion has been signed by 10 Members. It has not yet had any amendments submitted.
Motion text
That this House expresses deep concern regarding the efforts of Israeli coalition and opposition politicians to oust MK Ayman Odeh from the Knesset; joins Odeh in welcoming the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal which enabled the exchange of Israeli and Palestinian hostages and abductees; supports the sentiment of Palestinians and Israelis being freed from the burden of occupation and building a shared future; notes that, of the 90 Palestinians hostages most recently released by Israel, 69 were women, 21 were children, and most had been held without charge or trial; acknowledges the existence of myriad political mechanisms that enable the targeting, exclusion, and marginalisation of Palestinian-Israeli members of the Knesset, including the conflation of oneâs support for Palestinian rights with support for terrorism or incitement to violence; further notes the similar employment of the impeachment process against MK Ofer Cassif, as a result of his signing a petition in support of the South Africaâs case forwarded in the International Court of Justice, accusing Israel of committing genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza; believes in the value of maintaining a representative democracy that encompasses a broad array of political, social, and ethnic creeds; and calls on the Government to vehemently oppose any efforts by Israeli parliamentarians to further solidify an ethnocratic, apartheid state, and deny the Palestinian populationâs right to self-determination through the rooting out of democratically elected officials that represent their cause.
Knesset Hearing Offers the Clearest Evidence: Expulsion Attempt Against MK Ayman Odeh Is a Political and Inciteful Campaign Against Palestinian Representation
(June 27, 2025)
In a display of open hostility, Committee Chair Ofir Katz declared to MK Odeh: âYou wonât be in the Knessetâwe will remain, and you wonât. Not in the Knesset, not in Israel.â Other MKs shouted that he should âkeep shouting from jail,â while another told him: âYou all should go to Gazaâ. Right-wing MKs accused him of promoting a âviolent Palestinian ideology,â said an indictment should already have been filed, and called him an âenemy from within.â
Chair Katz escalated the incitement further, stating: âWhile the soldiers are fighting on seven fronts, the eighth front needs to be cleared, and Ayman Odeh is our eighth front⊠He is continuously working to weaken the State of Israel, to discredit it, to undermine it and to strengthen its enemies.â When MK Odeh repeated that the Israeli military is committing war crimesâa statement for which he was already sanctioned by the Knesset Ethics Committeeâthe chair threatened: âIf you continue to defame IDF soldiers, you will not be allowed to speak here.â
The committee blatantly ignored the Knesset legal advisorâs determination that only one statementâMK Odehâs January tweet concerning the Israel-Hamas dealâcould be legally considered. Instead, MKs used the hearing to dredge up unrelated political positions and to launch personal attacks, in open defiance of the law and the legal advisorâs position.
MK Odehâs January statement was a tweet that read: âHappy about the release of the hostages and prisoners. From here, we must free both peoples from the burden of occupation. We were all born free.â During the hearing, he reaffirmed his support for this statement and others, including his position that Israel is committing crimes against humanity against Palestinians in Gaza.
Standing Up for Hadash MK Ayman Odeh Free Speech in the Knesset
On last Tuesday, June 24, during wars in Gaza and Iran, the Knesset House Committee began the process of expelling MK Ayman Odeh (Hadash). Why? He protected free speech and called for the end of war and occupation. But in a so called âIsrael democracyâ a political speech by a Hadash MK is grounds for dismissal. Dr Hassan Jabareen of AdalahâThe Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights, who is serving as Odehâs legal counsel and is arguing as such.
Att. Jabareen, condemned the process as fundamentally flawed and unlawful, noting that the MKsâ refusal to follow the legal advisorâs ruling violated Odehâs rights and rendered the entire procedure illegitimate. He emphasized that Odehâs speech is fully legal and protected. The proceedings confirmed what has been clear from the outset of this process: the expulsion attempt is a dangerous, inciteful escalation in the ongoing political assault against Hadash and Arab Palestinian lawmakers in Israel.
Standing Up for Arab Leaderâs Free Speech in the Knesset
As former Executive Director of Breaking the Silence Avner Gvaryahu wrote, Ayman âproves that it is possible to be a proud Palestinian Arab and still work for a better Israeli society for everyone.â
He continued:
Jewish-Arab partnership is not just a matter of social justice or a historical correction. It is the basis of any genuine vision of change in the Middle East. As long as we continue to live in the reality of separation, suspicion and dominance of one group over another, we will continue to walk in the same circles of violence and oppression. Partnership offers another wayâa way through, in which the national conflict does not have to define every relationship between Jews and Arabs.
Therefore repelling Ayman from the public sphere is not only an expulsion of an Arab citizen [from the Knesset], but also a continued expulsion of the ideas of the left. This is a clear message [from the government] that the politics of partnership is undesirable, that the public space is only for those willing to remain silent about the occupation and settle for crumbs. Itâs part of a broader process of narrowing democratic space and revoking the legitimacy of critical votes.
MK Ayman Odeh at Mass Protest in Kfar Sava: We Must End the War on Gaza
MK Ayman Odeh, the Hadash lawmaker facing impeachment proceedings, called for unity and a ceasefire at mass anti-war protest in Kfar Saba, central Israel. âWe must reach a comprehensive deal. We must bring back all the hostages. We must end the war on Gaza,â said Odeh, who leads the Hadash-Taâal faction. âEnough! Enough with the wars!â
In an appeal to the crowd, Odeh said, âI am your partner. And you are my partners. Yes, there are differences, there are disagreements, but I want you to know: I am your partner, because my soul still yearns for freedom. I am your partner, because I still believe in humanity.â Odeh, who was invited to speak by the organizers of the protest, concluded his remarks by calling to continue the demonstrations. âAfter so much death, suffering, and tears, better days will come. We will bring them,â he told the crowd.
Knesset Holds Impeachment Hearing for Hadash MK Ayman Odeh
The Knesset Home Committee held an impeachment hearing against Hadash-Taâal chair MK Ayman Odeh on Tuesday morning, June 24, after far-right Likud MK Avihai Boaron in recent weeks collected 70 signatures from MKs in favor of launching the procedure who received the support of opposition MKs from three Zionist parties â Yisrael Beytenu, National Unity, and Yesh Atid.
Penalties for Hadash MKs Who Called Occupation Soldiers âMurderersâ
Odeh was punished with salary deduction and suspended from the plenum and Knesset committees for two weeks, among other things for statements that âwhat the army is doing in Gaza is murder and massacre.â Touma-Sliman and Tibi were suspended from the plenum and the Knesset for three days, following posts in which they referred to Israeli soldiers in Gaza as âmurderers and occupiers.â