Member of Knesset Ahmad Tibi of the United Arab List - Ta'al Party claims that he never supported terrorism. He send a letter to Director General Rafi Barak of the Foreign Ministry complained that he was slandered by Ambassador Michael Oren. MK Tibi claimed that Ambassador Oren twisted his words.
In an article entitled "Israel's Resilient Democracy," Ambassador Oren stated, "In fact, Israel has tolerated acts that would be deemed treasonous in virtually any other democracy. Ahmed Tibi, who once advised PLO Chairman Yasir Arafat and recently praised Palestinian "martyrs" -- a well-known euphemism for suicide bombers -- serves as a member and deputy speaker of the Knesset."