Yosef Jabareen
Yosef JabareenFlash 90

The group "Im Tirtzu" has turned to Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, and Head of Ethics Committee Yitzchak Vaknin, demanding they punish MK Yousef Jabareen (Arab Joint List) for visiting arch-terrorist murderer Marwan Barghouti in prison yesterday.

"We call on you to act so that the Ethics Committee will enforce sanctions on Jabareen in accordance with the authority of the Committee, and, at the very least, to distance him from the Knesset, and forbid him from proposing new laws and suggestions for the daily agenda," the group wrote.

Ilan Schwartzer, Head of policy for "Im Tirtzu," said that "the visitation of an Israeli Knesset member to an arch-murderer constitutes a black spot on the history of the State of Israel. Jabareen forgot a long time ago that he is supposed to represent the interests of the Israeli public, not those of terrorists."

According to Schwartzer, the time has come for the Knesset to prevent public expression of affection for terrorists by Knesset members at Israeli taxpayers' expense. "I call on the Arab public and the whole Knesset to condemn Jabareen. Actions like this damage the State of Israel and the integration of minorities within it."

Barghouti has been responsible for many serious terror attacks, including one that killed Yoela Hen at a gas station in Givat Ze'ev, and the "Sea Food Market" attack that killed three Israelis.

He is currently serving five life sentences in prison, even as he is reportedly considering running for the office of PA Chairman.