MK Ghattas
MK GhattasKoko

Will there be breaks in the indictment against MK Basel Ghattas? Lawyers of the MK, accused of passing messages and cell phones to terrorists imprisoned in Israel, are negotiating a plea bargain in his case with the prosecution.

Channel 10 reported that the sides discussed the possibility of reducing items in the indictment against the MK, in exchange for an admission of those acts attributed to him in the indictment.

The parties will continue talks in a meeting to be held between them next week.

Today (Monday) Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein submitted a request to the chairman of the House Committee, MK Yoav Kish, to convene the Knesset House Committee to discuss ousting MK Basel Ghattas.

The request was delivered to MK Yoav Kish after Minister Zeev Elkin Edelstein submitted the request to open the proceedings, signed by 71 Knesset members.

The law stipulates that the Chairman of the House Committee announce 10 days prior to the date of an impeachment hearing, therefore the first hearing will be held on Thursday next week.

According to MK Kish, "The Knesset Committee under me will complete Ghattas' impeachment process. I urge members of the Zionist Camp: join in the move. This is not a matter of left-right, but of protecting the security of Israel and the status of the Knesset. "

The impeachment request is based on the Attorney General's intention to indict MK Ghattas for smuggling mobile phones and notes to terrorists imprisoned in Ketziot Prison in the Negev.

Commencement of the impeachment process was made possible by the signatures of the Yesh Atid Knesset members on the impeachment request, in consequence of the indictment announcement.

However, completion of the impeachment process requires support of 90 MKs to oust an MK, and therefore without the support of the majority faction of the Zionist Camp, completion of the process will not be possible.