Basel Ghattas
Basel GhattasFlash 90

An Arab MK from the Joint List’s Balad faction who was summoned by police for questioning on Sunday, may have supplied electronic devices to Hamas terrorists imprisoned in Israel.

MK Basel Ghattas came under investigation following reports received by the Prison Service regarding Ghattas’ visits to terrorist prisoners.

According to the allegations, Ghattas sneaked cellular devices to jailed Hamas terrorists to enable them to help plan operations from behind bars.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke out about the allegations Sunday evening, saying that if true, the case represented a major security breach for Israel.

“If the suspicions against MK Ghattas are proven true, then it amounts to a very serious threat to Israeli security and civilians. Anyone who harms the state’s security needs to be punished severely, and must not be allowed to serve in the Israeli Knesset.”

Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan (Likud) called the suspicions against Ghattas extremely serious, adding that were he not a sitting Knesset Member, he would likely have been already been arrested.

Erdan also said the case highlighted the dangers of allowing MKs to visit jailed terrorists.

If he is found guilty, Ghattas would join Balad member and former MK Azmi Bishara as another active spy against the State of Israel while serving in the Knesset.

Bishara, a fugitive from Israeli justice, fled Israel in 2007, resigning his Knesset seat in absentia after Israeli authorities discovered he had signalled information and recommended targets to Hezbollah during the Second Lebanon War.