Archiv: Knesset (legislative branch / Israel)


14.06.2026 - 17:20 [ Communist Party of Israel ]

Hadash: No to Netanyahu’s Eternal War

(June 8, 2026)

“The 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 Netanyahu’s eternal war.”

According to Hadash MK Ayman Odeh, “War 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 country’s history.”

“Were 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,” he agreed.

14.06.2026 - 17:18 [ Al Jazeera ]

No opposition in Israel ‘when it comes to wars’

“There is not really an opposition in Israel when it comes to wars. When it comes to wars, to occupation, to apartheid, there is no opposition,” Gideon Levy, a columnist at Israeli newspaper Haaretz, told Al Jazeera.

“They all think the same. There is an opposition to Netanyahu in person, a very devoted one, a very decisive one. But not against the wars,” he added.

28.05.2026 - 15:22 [ Communist Party of Israel ]

News 13 Poll: The Joint List Will Become the Third-Largest Faction with 16 MKs

The Joint List would become the third largest faction in the Knesset if elections were held today, according to the results of a poll broadcast last night (Monday, May 25) on Channel 13 News. According to the poll, the Joint List would win 16 seats, while Likud drops to 23 seats and “Beyachad” falls to 21 seats. In this scenario, Netanyahu’s extremist right-wing bloc drops to 53 seats, while the Zionist opposition bloc falls to 51 seats. To form an alternative government, the opposition parties would need the Joint List to secure a majority of 67 Knesset members.

21.05.2026 - 07:24 [ Communist Party of Israel ]

The Bill to Dissolve the Knesset Passed Its Preliminary Reading; MK Odeh: ‘The Evil Govt is Ending its Path’

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. “The worst government ever, responsible for bloodshed on a horrific scale, is coming to an end,” MK Ayman Odeh stated in the Knesset plenum while presenting his faction’s bill. “We are at a historic crossroads,” he emphasized

21.04.2026 - 17:51 [ Communist Party of Israel ]

Hadash Announces Primary Elections and Push for Joint List Consolidation

During the session, political leaders, including the Communist Party of Israel Secretary-General Adel Amer and Hadash Secretary Amjad Shbita, addressed the regional political situation. Discussions centered on the fragile ceasefire, the risk of renewed war on Iran and Lebanon, and the concerning rise of internal fascism and ongoing occupation of Palestinian, Lebanese and Syrian territories.

“The establishment of the Joint List is not merely a tactical maneuver,” Hadash stated in an official communique. “It is a fundamental mission to shift the political balance of power and intensify the struggle against the occupation.” In addition to election preparations, Hadash leadership issued a formal call for public mobilization. Activists and supporters are urged to participate in International Workers’ Day events on Friday, May 1, in Tel Aviv, on Saturday, May 2 in Nazareth and other localities.

12.04.2026 - 01:57 [ Communist Party of Israel ]

New Poll: The Joint List Becomes the Third-largest Faction in the Knesset

Channel 13 also asked respondents how they would vote if Hadash and three Arab parties, Ra’am, Ta’al and Balad, ran together as the Joint List, as they have done in the past. In such a scenario, the Joint List would become the third largest parliamentary faction, with sixteen seats. Likud would shrink to 20 and Religious Zionism would rise to six, giving Netanyahu’s coalition a total of 53 seats, and Bennett’s party would shrink to 20 while Yashar Eisenkot’s and Democrats Golan’s parties would drop to eleven and seven, respectively, giving the Zionist opposition bloc a total of 51 seats. Hadash and the Arab parties pledged earlier this year to work to reestablish the Joint List, with little signs of progress.

01.04.2026 - 13:25 [ Middle East Eye / X ]

“All those who supported, let alone proposed this bill, should be tried by The Hague.” Ofer Cassif, a member of the Israeli Knesset, has condemned the death penalty bill approved on Monday for Palestinian detainees, labeling it a “genocide law”

(video)

08.02.2026 - 18:41 [ Dan Perry / Jerusalem Post ]

Will Israel’s Arabs reach the political Promised Land? – opinion

The trend in Arab politics is for the four main existing parties to reorganize as a “Joint List” for this year’s election. The aim is to both maximize turnout and prevent wasted votes (because of Balad, nearly 3% of ballots were thrown away last time, and together with a similar situation in Meretz, this handed victory to Netanyahu). Such a list is expected to win 15 seats or more, and even if it splits after the election, some of its components will want to participate in the government. If it’s formed by the opposition, support among Arabs would be overwhelming.

06.02.2026 - 21:03 [ Abed Abou Shhadeh / +972 Magazine ]

What the Joint List’s revival signifies for Palestinian politics in Israel

(January 28, 2026)

This is a historic event in a volatile political moment. Even before the publication of polls gauging the Joint List’s electoral strength — predicting that it could secure 15-16 of the Knesset’s 120 seats, making it the third largest force in Israeli politics — the popular demand for unity suggests the possibility for unprecedented voter turnout in Arab society.

Israeli news outlets described the renewal of the Joint List as “drama in the political system,” and rightly so. Such a scenario would alter the balance between opposing blocs and force Zionist parties across the spectrum — from Yair Golan’s center-left Democrats to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud — to recalibrate their strategies.

06.02.2026 - 20:53 [ Communist Party of Israel ]

Polls: Joint List Wins 14-15 Seats

Polls show the Joint List gaining strength and win 14 to 15 seats in the next Knesset. Wednesday’s Channel 13 survey sees far-right PM Netanyahu’s Likud party gaining one seat and the Jont List win 15. As with previous surveys, without the Joint List parties’ 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 Knesset’s 120 seats if elections were held today, continuing to prevent a parliamentary majority from the Zionist opposition parties.

06.02.2026 - 20:31 [ Communist Party of Israel ]

Hadash MK Ofer Cassif Meets Jeremy Corbyn

(November 15, 2025)

British MP Jeremy Corbyn (left) meets Hadash MK Ofer Cassif, Nov. 12, 2025 (Photo: Al Ittihad)

31.01.2026 - 22:18 [ Communist Party of Israel ]

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 “Hadash 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.” “These elections are not just about arithmetic. They are a political and ethical battle to prevent the continuation of Netanyahu’s policies and those of his far-right extremist ministers,” added.

12.01.2026 - 19:46 [ Ynetnews.com ]

Coalition moves to kill charge central to Netanyahu corruption trial

In their statement, the bill’s sponsors described the offense as a vague legal tool that has long enabled prosecutors to target elected officials for behavior that is ethically questionable but not clearly criminal. They called for a “rapid legislative process,” framing the move as an overdue correction to what they labeled an overreach by law enforcement.
Critics say the bill appears tailor-made to benefit Netanyahu, who is accused of exploiting his public position for personal gain

12.01.2026 - 19:35 [ Times of Israel ]

Coalition advances bill to repeal criminal charge that Netanyahu is on trial for

Coalition lawmakers are advancing a bill to repeal the crime of fraud and breach of trust – one of the charges that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently on trial for.

01.01.2026 - 14:47 [ United Nations ]

UN chief condemns Israeli amendments targeting UNRWA operations

The UN Secretary-General has condemned amendments adopted by Israel’s Knesset to a law aimed at ceasing the operations of the UN agency assisting Palestine refugees (UNRWA), saying the measures must be immediately repealed.

The amendments, adopted on 29 December, to the Law to Cease UNRWA Operations “seek to further impede UNRWA’s ability to operate and carry out its mandated activities,” said a statement issued by the Spokesperson for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

“The Law and its amendments are inconsistent with the status and international legal framework applicable to UNRWA and must be immediately repealed,” it added.

25.12.2025 - 09:58 [ Haaretz ]

Knesset extends order allowing IDF, Shin Bet to hack into private security cameras

(December 24, 2025)

The Knesset approved a one-year extension of a temporary order that authorizes the IDF and Shin Bet security service to hack into private security cameras without their owners‘ knowledge.

Although the temporary order originally stipulated that hacking into cameras would only be done in cases related to „significant military activities,“ the current proposal eliminated this condition so that the order would not be dependent on the state of war. However, the grounds for activating the order were reduced.

Ten Knesset members voted in favor of the order in the third and final vote, with no opponents.

25.12.2025 - 09:51 [ Middle East Eye ]

Israeli parliament extends order allowing Israeli military, intelligence access into private security cameras

(December 24, 2025)

Israel’s Knesset approved a one-year extension of a temporary order allowing the Israeli military and Israeli intelligence agency Shin Bet to hack into private security cameras without owners’ knowledge, Haaretz reported.

The original order limited such access to cases involving “significant military activities.”

The updated legislation removed this restriction, allowing the order to be used regardless of a state of war, while narrowing the grounds for its activation. In the third and final vote, ten Knesset members supported the measure and none opposed it.

22.10.2025 - 11:15 [ Wafa.ps ]

Israel‘s Knesset to vote today on bill to annex the occupied West Bank

TEL AVIV, October 22, 2025 (WAFA) – The Israeli Knesset (parliament) will vote on Wednesday on a bill to annex the occupied West Bank to Israel by imposing „Israeli sovereignty“ over areas there.

According to the Israeli public radio, „Kan,“ the head of the far-right „Noam“ party, Avi Maoz, will be the one who will submit the bill for a vote.

13.10.2025 - 14:44 [ Hindustan Times ]

Who are Israel Parliament members Ayman Odeh, Ofer Cassif who showed ‘recognise Palestine’ 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.

13.10.2025 - 14:41 [ i24NEWS English / Youtube ]

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.

27.09.2025 - 23:49 [ Communist Party of Israel ]

MK Odeh to Submit Bill to Knesset to Recognize Palestinian State

“I welcome the decision of the UK, France, Australia, Canada and other countries to recognize a Palestinian state,” 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. “On 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.”

Hadash MK Aida Touma-Sliman told The Jerusalem Post that the recognition of a Palestinian state by “Western powers is an important step, but it is not enough, too little too late.” Touma-Sliman said that Palestinian state recognition “must be the beginning of a serious pressure campaign on Israel and its backers in the White House, including economic measures and arms embargoes.” “The world knows that the destruction of Gaza must end, and a Palestinian state must be established alongside Israel. It is time for action,” she said.

26.08.2025 - 20:53 [ Communist Party of Israel ]

Adalah: Police’s Failure to Investigate Attempted Lynch of MK Odeh

Upon MK Odeh’s arrival, dozens of rioters attacked his car and shouted racist slogans such as “Death to Arabs.” 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 vehicle’s 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.

19.08.2025 - 18:04 [ Al Jazeera ]

WATCH: Israeli politician forcibly removed from Knesset podium

(video)

07.08.2025 - 13:22 [ @lespresso / Youtube ]

Israele, il deputato Cassif cita Grossman e parla di genocidio. Allontanato dall‘aula con la forza

Alla Knesset non si puĂČ dire genocidio. Lo ha constatato a sue spese il deputato della lista di sinistra „Hadash-Taal“ Ofer Cassif. Durante un suo intervento in parlamento, ha citato lo scrittore israeliano David Grossman che in un‘intervista rilasciata a Repubblica ha dichiarato: „Per anni mi sono rifiutato di usare il termine genocidio, ma ora, dopo le immagini che ho visto e dopo aver parlato con le persone che erano lĂŹ, non posso piĂč evitarlo“.

07.08.2025 - 13:17 [ The Alice in DownUnderland Project / Youtube ]

Ofer Cassif removed from Knesset podium for quoting David Grossman

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports that Israeli parliamentarian Ofer Cassif, from the left-wing Hadash-Ta’al party, was forcibly removed from the Knesset podium on Monday night during a plenary session after quoting renowned Israeli writer and novelist David Grossman, who acknowledged in an interview with the Italian daily La Repubblica last week that, with “‘immense pain and a broken heart”, Israel is currently committing “genocide” in Gaza. “For years I refused to use the term genocide, but now, after the images I’ve seen and after speaking to people who were there, I can no longer avoid it,’” Cassif said in his speech. Haaretz said the session was chaired by deputy Knesset Speaker Nissim Vaturi, who interrupted Cassif, saying “That’s not a quote – that’s made up,” and demanded Cassif be removed from the podium, followed by Likud member Tali Gottlieb who shouted: “He will not say ‘genocide’ in here!” before Knesset ushers physically removed Cassif from the podium.

23.07.2025 - 19:46 [ Times 0f Israel ]

Lawmakers vote 71-13 in favor of non-binding motion calling for West Bank annexation

“The land of Israel belongs to the people of Israel,” declares Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana following the vote, adding that “Jews cannot be the occupiers” of their own ancestral homeland.

“This is our land. This is our home. The Land of Israel belongs to the people of Israel. In 1967, the occupation did not begin; it ended, and our homeland was returned to its rightful owners. We are the original first natives of this piece of land. Jews cannot be the ‘occupier’ of a land that for 3,000 years has been called Judea,” says Ohana.

14.07.2025 - 23:42 [ Jerusalem Post ]

Attorney-General Baharav-Miara refuses to attend her own dismissal hearing

“The hearing scheduled for today allows the government to dismiss the attorney general and any future advisor for foreign and corrupt considerations. In response to the fact that the advisor prevented illegal actions, ordered an investigation or prosecution of a coalition member, refused to halt a criminal proceeding against a sitting government member, or as part of a ‚political deal‘ to ensure the survival of the government,” she wrote.

14.07.2025 - 22:25 [ Times of Israel ]

With only 73 votes in favor, motion to expel Hadash-Ta’al chair Ayman Odeh fails to pass

The petition was put forth in January, when Odeh said he was “happy for the release of hostages and prisoners” 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 “Gaza has won and Gaza will win.”

Both United Torah Judaism and Benny Gantz’s Blue and White—National Unity party boycott the vote, while Opposition Leader Yair Lapid and most of his Yesh Atid party’s MKs are absent as well.

The measure is supported by the coalition and by opposition party Yisrael Beytenu. The Democrats vote against it.

12.07.2025 - 19:28 [ Communist Party of Israel ]

Knesset Suspends Hadash MK Cassif for Accusing Israeli Soldiers of Committing Genocide in Gaza

“It’s not a matter of parliamentary ethics, but of political censorship and persecution as well as terrorization (“chilling effect”) of the entire leftist camp, Arabs and Jews alike,” Cassif wrote in a response posted to X. “The real end behind this suspension is to thwart our faction from any parliamentary activity altogether, and, in the longer run, to eliminate any representation of the Arab and the democratic Jewish citizens. My repeated suspensions are merely the appetizer, as they were.”

Cassif was instead suspended by the Ethics Committee in November 2024 for six months due to critics against ethnic cleansing in Gaza and attempt to oust Cassif from his sea failed in the Knesset plenum in February 2024 due to insufficient support from the opposition, with only 85 MKs voting in favor, short of the required 90. That effort to remove Cassif from the parliament came in response to his public support for South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

06.07.2025 - 23:54 [ Communist Party of Israel ]

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-Ta’al 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.

03.07.2025 - 01:25 [ Orly Noy / +972 Magazine ]

The Knesset vs Ayman Odeh

On Monday, the Knesset House Committee voted to impeach Palestinian parliamentarian Ayman Odeh, head of the predominantly Arab Hadash-Ta’al list. His crime? In January, as the two-month Gaza ceasefire came into effect, Odeh tweeted: “I 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.”

As I watched the committee’s hearing, I felt like my eyes were bleeding. It was physically unbearable. Knesset members from across the political spectrum — who aren’t worthy of the dust on Odeh’s shoes when it comes to humanism, morality, and democratic integrity — competed to see who could spew the vilest rhetoric against him.

No one paid attention to the Knesset’s legal adviser — who, after the obligatory lip service condemning Odeh’s “disgusting statements,” concluded that there was no legal basis for his impeachment. And it goes without saying that no one listened to Odeh’s 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.

03.07.2025 - 01:07 [ Jerusalem Post ]

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 “Odeh as a person and everything he represents,” Boaron said in his closing argument. At the end of the hearing, committee chairman Ofir Katz (Likud) said Odeh was a “bitter enemy” of Israel, and in a “normal country,” he would “rot in jail.”

Only Ra’am MK Waleed Taha and Hadash-Ta’al MK Ahmad Tibi voted against his impeachment.

30.06.2025 - 20:59 [ Middle East Monitor ]

Israeli Knesset committee approves motion to impeach Arab lawmaker Ayman Odeh

The motion will now move to the Knesset’s plenary session for a majority vote of 90 members out of 120 to complete Odeh’s 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 Israel’s nearly 10 million population.

30.06.2025 - 20:54 [ Times of Israel ]

Panel votes to impeach Arab MK Ayman Odeh, paving way for possible ouster from Knesset

While a similar effort to oust Hadash-Ta’al 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.

30.06.2025 - 03:48 [ Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel ]

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: “You won’t be in the Knesset—we will remain, and you won’t. Not in the Knesset, not in Israel.” Other MKs shouted that he should “keep shouting from jail,” while another told him: “You all should go to Gaza”. Right-wing MKs accused him of promoting a “violent Palestinian ideology,” said an indictment should already have been filed, and called him an “enemy from within.”

Chair Katz escalated the incitement further, stating: “While 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.” When MK Odeh repeated that the Israeli military is committing war crimes—a statement for which he was already sanctioned by the Knesset Ethics Committee—the chair threatened: “If you continue to defame IDF soldiers, you will not be allowed to speak here.”

The committee blatantly ignored the Knesset legal advisor’s determination that only one statement—MK Odeh’s January tweet concerning the Israel-Hamas deal—could 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 advisor’s position.

MK Odeh’s January statement was a tweet that read: “Happy 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.” 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.

26.06.2025 - 03:45 [ Communist Party of Israel ]

Knesset Holds Impeachment Hearing for Hadash MK Ayman Odeh

The Knesset Home Committee held an impeachment hearing against Hadash-Ta’al 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 – Yisrael Beytenu, National Unity, and Yesh Atid.

26.06.2025 - 03:34 [ Communist Party of Israel ]

Penalties for Hadash MKs Who Called Occupation Soldiers ‘Murderers’

Odeh was punished with salary deduction and suspended from the plenum and Knesset committees for two weeks, among other things for statements that “what the army is doing in Gaza is murder and massacre.” 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 “murderers and occupiers.”

12.06.2025 - 18:18 [ New York Times ]

Netanyahu Survives a Vote to Dissolve Parliament but Emerges Weakened

By bringing the bill to a vote, the opposition parties planned to exploit a fight within the governing coalition over the contentious, decades-old policy that has largely exempted ultra-Orthodox men who are studying religion in seminaries from compulsory military service.