While the pro-Netanyahu bloc is slated to expand to 65 seats in the Knesset following yesterday’s election, Channel 12 reports that it only received 8,189 more votes than the anti-Netanyahu bloc. However, because Arab Balad party and possibly Zionist Meretz failed to cross the threshold, their votes were scattered to other parties rather than being redistributed to the anti-Netanyahu bloc, which is slated to end with just 55 seats in the Knesset. Both blocs won roughly 50% of the vote, though the final tallies are not yet available.
Archiv: Ayman Odeh
MK Odeh: The Right’s Only Hope for Victory is To Suppress Arab Votes
The Hadash and Ta’al list led by Knesset members Ayman Odeh and Ahmed Tibi, released a new election campaign video urging the Arab public to vote in the elections in order to stop the right-wing parties’ intention to carry out a new Nakba.
Hadash Elects First Candidates for Its List for the Knesset Elections
Hadash’s electoral platform calls for: an end to Israel’s occupation of all Palestinian territories conquered in the June 1967 war as well as the Golan Heights taken from Syria, and for achieving a just, comprehensive, and stable peace between Israel and an independent Palestinian state to be created in those same occupied Palestinian territories; the protection of workers’ rights; the development of advanced and egalitarian social services (health, education, housing, welfare, culture, and sports), and for full equality for the Arab-Palestinian national minority in Israel.
Among Hadash’s additional goals are: the eradication of ethnic discrimination in all fields; the defense of the interests of residents of disadvantaged neighborhoods and development towns; the protection of democratic freedoms in Israeli society; full equality between the sexes in all fields; the protection of the environment and environmental justice; and the eradication of all nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons in Israel and throughout the Middle East.
Pegasus Spyware in Israel: MK Odeh Calls on Police Commissioner to Resign
(20.01.2021)
Israel police accused of using Pegasus spyware to hack phones of activists and civilians. An investigative report published Jan. 18 by the financial Calcalist newspaper claims that the police purchased the software in 2013, under then-Police Commissioner Yohanan Danino, and actually started using it in 2015, when former Shin Bet senior Roni Alsheikh served as police commissioner. The software allegedly served the secret police cyber brigade named Signet. The report further claims that police used Pegasus to hack phones not only of criminals but also of activists and other civilians, without court authorization or the control of a judge.
Racist ‘Citizenship Law’ Advances, Months after Ban on Palestinian Spouses Lapsed
The bill was rejected by the Knesset plenum six months ago, and since then, Shaked has struggled to obtain a majority. Joint List leader MK Ayman Odeh (Hadash) said he was determined to prevent its passage. “We toppled the Citizenship Law, because we oppose racist, anti-democratic legislation”, Odeh said. “We will do everything we can to topple it again.” According to Hadash MK Ofer Cassif (Hadash), “This Israeli law is racist, collective, pre-emptive punishment. It can neither be justified, nor redeemed.” The Joint List also oppose Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s bill on drafting yeshiva students. All parties in the coalition support the bill, including Islamist Ra’am (United Arab List).
“Change” Gov’t Approves 31 New Projects in Occupied West Bank
On Friday, June 25, the United Nations accused Israel of blatantly violating international law and called on it to halt the illegal expansions in settlements. According to Al-Ittihad, Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General and Tor Wennesland, UN Mideast envoy, cited Security Council resolution 2334 from December 2016 that declared the occupation’s settlements as having “no legal validity.”
“I again underscore, in no uncertain terms, that Israeli settlements constitute a flagrant violation of United Nations resolutions and international law,” Wennesland said. “They are a major obstacle to the achievement of a two-state solution and a just, long lasting and comprehensive peace. The advancement of all settlement activity must cease immediately.
MK Odeh: As Long There is an Occupation, There’ll Be Resistance
The Joint List MKs held a press conference at the site during which Odeh expressed full support for the East Jerusalem Palestinians’ struggle: “The main point is there’s an occupation. As long as there is an occupation, there will be resistance.” Odeh continued, “This resistance becomes sharpened during periods of provocation, such as what happened over the past month,” relating to the imminent evictions of eight Palestinian families from Sheikh Jarrah. “Netanyahu took pride in his normalization of diplomatic ties with some Arab countries. But the youth of Jerusalem confirm yet again that the fundamental issue is the Palestinian cause… Anyone who wants live in peace and security must see themselves as part of the just cause of East Jerusalem Palestinians.”
Israeli-Arab lawmaker Ayman Odeh tests positive for COVID-19
Israeli Lawmaker Ayman Odeh announced on Sunday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a statement released by his office.
Odeh, head of the Arab-majority Joint List faction in the Knesset (Israel Parliament), said he was „feeling fine“ other „than a slight fever.“
How Bernie Sanders Came to Address an Anti-annexation Rally in Tel Aviv
Odeh and Sanders first met in February 2017, when the Odeh visited Washington to attend that year’s J Street conference.
Ayman Odeh, the Israeli Left’s Natural Leader
Now that Meretz and Labor have banded together and don’t face any real danger, Odeh wants to take a small bite out of its electorate, not to swallow them, just a little bite to complete a 15-seat slate and carry out his vision to define the Joint List as the real social-political left.
And he’s doing so the same way left-wing leaders have worked through the generations, using the right quote and the right moment, and from the right poem.
Arab Israeli Leader Ayman Odeh Makes It Into Time’s List of ‚100 Rising Stars‘
“Ordinarily, it’s difficult for a non-Jewish politician to break through in Israeli politics,” Time wrote. “Arab Israelis may account for every fifth resident of the country, but in its parliament, the Knesset, they are routinely relegated to a corner. All of which makes Ayman Odeh, the head of Israel’s Arab parliamentarians, all the more extraordinary. As the contest for leadership of the self-declared Jewish state teetered between right-wing and centrist factions, Odeh emerged not only as a possible kingmaker but also as a stirring new voice for equality and inclusion.”
Rare Moment in Israeli Politics as Gantz Meets Arab Party Leaders for Coalition Talks
Kahol Lavan leader Benny Gantz met on Thursday with the leaders of the Joint List, an alliance of four Arab-majority parties, as part of his effort to form a governing coalition after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to do so.
Ayman Odeh: We Are Ending Netanyahu’s Grip on Israel
The Israeli government has done everything in its power to reject those of us who are Arab Palestinian citizens, but our influence has only grown. We will be the cornerstone of democracy.
Joint List chairman says he could recommend Gantz as PM
Parliamentarian Aymen Odeh told Army Radio Wednesday morning he would consider supporting Netanyahu’s chief political rival as official results trickling in continued to solidify a strong showing for the coalition of Arab parties.
Head of Arab faction mulls backing Gantz to form next coalition
The chairman of the Joint List of Arab parties, Ayman Odeh, said Wednesday that he may recommend Blue and White leader Benny Gantz as the next prime minister when he meets with President Reuven Rivlin.
Gantz has already reached out to him, Odeh said, adding that “on Wednesday afternoon, we will decide which path to take.”
Israel’s two main parties locked in dead heat as negotiations begin for new government
As of Wednesday morning, Gantz had already reached out to Ayman Odeh, leader of the Joint List, the conglomeration of four Arab parties that scored remarkably well in Tuesday’s election, securing 12 seats.
פתאום יש לו בעיה עם מצלמות
(11.09.2019)
Hadash Lawmaker Ejected from Plenum for Videoing Netanyahu
Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein had Joint List leader MK Ayman Odeh (Hadash) forcibly removed from the Knesset chamber on Wednesday, September 11, during the debate before a vote on the contentious bill that would have allowed cameras to be deployed in polling stations during the general elections on Tuesday, September 17.
Poll: 78% of Arab Voters Support the Joint List Entering a Coalition
A large majority (76%) of those surveyed supported Hadash MK Ayman Odeh’s declaration last Friday, August 23, that he would join a moderate-center government; 65% of those asked expressed their full support for the Joint List joining a coalition headed by Kahol-Lavan (Blue & White); and 20% responded they neither support nor oppose the such a move.
Youssef Makladeh, the CEO of Statnet, told Maariv: “This isn’t new; past surveys have indicated that the Arab community in Israel is more interested in more pragmatic leadership that will work towards solving more acute issues, such as curbing the spread of violence, [achieving] building permits [for Arab towns], [developing local] infrastructure and sewage management [for their places of residence].” Makladeh added, “For the first time in a decade, an Arab leader has thrown the ball into the court of the Jewish parties.”
Zionist Blue & White Rejects Joint List Participation in Any Coalition
Joint List Chairman Ayman Odeh is prepared to recommend that Kahol Lavan’s Benny Gantz form a government, and that the united slate of Joint List would be willing to join a center-left coalition, he told in a long interview published by the Israeli daily newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper Friday morning.
MK Odeh’s comments drew ire from across the Zionist political spectrum, ranging from Kahol Lavan to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud. In the interview, Odeh formulated a list of demands with regard to the end of the occupation of the Palestinian territories, welfare issues and Arab public needs. If Kahol Lavan accepts these terms, it would prepare the grounds for Joint List to join the government, for the first time in Israeli history.
Joint List Says It Doesn’t Outright Reject Joining Government After Arab Israeli Leader’s Overture
The Joint List slammed the other political parties, made up of Jewish lawmakers, for not taking an interest in the opinions of Arab lawmakers. „It’s pretty clear that the Zionist parties that make up governments do not acknowledge our natural right to influence decision-making. This was apparent after Ayman Odeh made his declarations and put the political arena to the test.“
Odeh said in an interview with Israeli daily Yedioth Aharonot that he would be willing to recommend Gantz to President Reuven Rivlin as the candidate for making up the coalition, and that he would also be open to joining a center-left governing coalition.
מאבק משותף | עתיד משותף | רשימה משותפת דברים שאמרתי היום בהשקת הקמפיין שלנו בתל אביב. לא תהיה תחליף לממשלת הימין בלי הכוח
Top Arab lawmaker says he is willing to join a center-left government
On Thursday, the Yedioth Ahronoth daily published a preview of an interview with Odeh that will be published in full on Friday, leading with a quote of him saying he was “willing to join a center-left government.”
However, he laid out several conditions for joining such a coalition.
Israeli Arab Party Leader Signals Historic Shift – and Brews a Political Storm
Ayman Odeh says he’s willing to sit in center-left coalition, demands establishing Palestinian state, ending occupation – but other leaders in his party say they were not consulted on this deal, and Kahol Lavan were quick to rebuff
‚We Can’t Do It Alone‘: Arab Slate Launches Campaign to Win Over Jewish Votes
They had come to launch a new campaign to get Jews to vote for the Joint List.
The event was held under the slogan “A joint struggle, a joint future.” In an unusual move, all the speakers were asked to speak in Hebrew.
Netanyahu Opens the Doors of Power to Extremists
If we are to defeat this dangerous alliance, we must provide a clear alternative. The only way for the left to prevail is to choose solidarity and the shared Jewish-Arab struggle for peace, equality and democracy.
Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel represent 20 percent of the population. We cannot change the course of the country alone. But there is no electoral math that leads to victory for a center-left-wing coalition without the participation of the Arab parties.
Odeh Reelected as Chairman of Hadash’s Parliamentary Faction
MK Aida Touma-Sliman was elected for the second spot on the Hadash slate after Farah said he was rescinding his candidacy for that position. “The fascist right is delegitimizing us,” Touma-Sliman said. “They’ve said we’re traitors and incited against us, but even in rough times we’re not afraid of Netanyahu. We’re stronger than him, because we have behind us an entire public of both Arabs and Jews who want peace, justice, liberty and democracy.”
In the third and fourth places in the Hadash list of candidates were elected Dr. Ofer Cassif, a lecturer of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and MK Youssef Jabareen respectively.
Clinging to Communist Past, Hadash Party Hopes to Reunite Israeli Arabs Behind It
The party’s new Jewish representative Ofer Cassif is a radical firebrand sure to become the right’s favorite punching bag
Israeli Arab Leader Suspended From Knesset Debates for Insulting Police Officers
(3.7.2018) The incident in questioned occurred after a protest in Haifa against the killing of Palestinians along the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. Odeh had gone to the Bnei Zion (Rothschild) Medical Center in Haifa to visit human rights activist Jafar Farah, who claims that an Israel Police officer had cursed and beaten him during the demonstration. When the police tried to prevent the MK from entering the hospital, Odeh responded by yelling insults at them, telling them, “Who are you at all? Go to hell!“ And, he added, “You are nothing!”
Ethics Committee members decided that with such behavior, Odeh had violated the directive whereby MKs must act in a way that is appropriate to their status as representatives of the public.
Case Against Policemen Who Assaulted Israeli Arab Lawmaker Dropped
(29.7.2018) The investigation first focused on the sponge-tipped bullets. The police rebutted Odeh’s claim that he was hit by one, arguing that no fire was directed at him and that he was hit by stones thrown by protesters. A medical report could not determine what caused his wound, and questions remain.
Haaretz has learned that none of the policemen had mentioned the confrontation with Odeh in his report, and investigators could not identify who used the pepper spray, even though the entire incident was documented on videotape.
Every Day That Lieberman Is Defense Minister
“Every day that Ayman Odeh is not in prison is a failure of law enforcement,” Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said of the chairman of the Joint List, the third largest bloc in the Knesset. Interior Minister Gilad Erdan — who lost no haste in pronouncing Yakub Abu al-Kian, who was shot dead by police in Umm al-Hiran, a terrorist — quickly joined in. He announced that he would ask the attorney general to launch a criminal investigation against Odeh, who cursed out a police officer at the hospital where Jafar Farah, the director of Mossawa Center, the Advocacy Center for Arab Citizens in Israel, was being treated while under arrest in connection to a protest in Haifa.
‚Police broke my knee, threatened my doctors,‘ Arab civil society leader tells court
Police file criminal complaint against Arab MK Ayman Odeh for calling the officers who refused to let him visit a hospitalized protester ‘losers’.
Unbelievable. Israel’s Defense Minister incited against Palestinian Knesset member Ayman Odeh & joint list members for criticizing the police, calling them „terrorists“ who belong in jail not Knesset & threatening it is time for them „to pay the price“ (whatever that means)
Not One Israeli Opposition Member Stood in Solidarity
(24.1.2018) The only ones who faithfully represented opponents of the occupation, seekers of peace and lovers of Israeli democracy on Tuesday were the members of the Joint List. All the other opposition members, by their spontaneous apathy, proved that their leader is none other than Netanyahu, and that they deserve their marginal role in the nationalist puppet theater that the prime minister manages.