MK Basel Ghattas (Joint List) is expected to give up his parliamentary immunity of his own accord, even before a Knesset discussion on the matter, Channel 2 News reported on Wednesday evening.
The Knesset House Committee, headed by MK Yoav Kisch of the Likud, approved on Wednesday the request of the Attorney General to remove Ghattas's immunity, facilitating his arrest on charges of smuggling cellular phones to security prisoners.
The committee's decision was to be brought to a Knesset vote on Thursday, but if Ghattas announces that he is giving up his immunity, the Knesset vote will no longer be necessary and will be cancelled.
"They tell me that tomorrow I will get a letter from MK Ghattas that he accepts the decision of the House Committee in connection with the removal of his parliamentary immunity," Kisch tweeted on Wednesday evening, according to Channel 2.
"If indeed this happens, tomorrow there will be only a statement from the Knesset Speaker about it (rather than a vote –ed.),” he added.
Ghattas did not take part in the House Committee meeting on Wednesday, claiming that it was a "political discussion the outcome of which was known from the outset."
Reports on Tuesday said that Ghattas had admitted during a police investigation to having smuggled telephones and messages to terrorist prisoners he visited in jail.
Ghattas’s spokesman later denied that he had admitted to the charges.