Lieberman, Chairman of the Yisrael Beitenu party and the newly-appointed Minister of Strategic Affairs, told Knesset members in a session on Thursday, “Arab Knesset members who collaborate with the enemy and meet with Hamas leaders should be dealt with harshly.” He demanded the government punish Knesset members “who incite and cooperate with terror and who sit in this house…. who continue to freely meet with Hamas, with Hizbullah, who go to make visits in Lebanon.”
Lieberman said such unauthorized meetings should be considered as collaboration with the enemy and treated as such: “At the end of the Second World War not only criminals were killed in Nuremberg but also those who collaborated with them. I hope this will be the fate of the collaborators in this house.”
He added that just two days earlier the Arab Knesset members “declared Israel’s Independence Day as Nakba Day (Day of Disaster) and raised black flags. There is a directive on terrorism, according to which those who collaborate with it must face the law.”
Lieberman did not restrict his condemnation to Arab MKs, adding, “There is no difference between … Neturei Karta [Extreme anti-Zionist Hassidic group] and the Islamic Movement. They are both collaborators of global terror.”
Arab party members and legislators from the Labor and Meretz parties responded to the new minister’s remarks with outrage, saying that Lieberman had crossed "all red lines." Other parties who weighed in against the remarks included the Advocacy Center for Arab Citizens in Israel and Hadash party chairman and Knesset member Mohammad Barakeh.
Tibi immediately demanded that Attorney General Menachem Mazuz open a criminal investigation against Lieberman for violating the law against incitement and racism.
Nitzan said that after examining a transcript of Lieberman’s remarks, the State Prosecutor’s office decided that “the words are not incitement to violence or incitement to racism.”
Knesset members Azmi Bishara, Jamal Zahalka and Wasil Tahal of the National Democratic Assembly (Balad) party paid an unauthorized visit to Syria in September after the war with Iranian and Syrian-sponsored Hizbullah terrorists in southern Lebanon. They were accompanied by two former Arab Knesset members, Muhammed Miari and Muhammed Kana’an.
One of the current Knesset members said bluntly that the Israeli Arab legislators planned to return to Syria “if necessary.” Bishara added, “Israel won’t tell us with which Arabs we can forge ties.”
All five were questioned by police upon their return, but none were arrested.
Another Arab Knesset member, Ibrahim Tzartzour, called Defense Minister Amir Peretz a “child murderer” in a Knesset session after an attack on a village considered a Hizbullah stronghold during the war.
A scant few days earlier, MK Tahal was seen in public correspondence with readers on the Arabic-language IslamOnline website, as saying he had repeatedly advised Palestinian Authority terrorists to battle and kidnap Israeli soldiers.
IDF Cpl. Gilad Shalit has been held hostage by Hamas terrorists since their attack on an army outpost near the Kerem Shalom border crossing on June 25th. His whereabouts remain unknown, although negotiations for his release continue.
Lieberman said such unauthorized meetings should be considered as collaboration with the enemy and treated as such: “At the end of the Second World War not only criminals were killed in Nuremberg but also those who collaborated with them. I hope this will be the fate of the collaborators in this house.”
He added that just two days earlier the Arab Knesset members “declared Israel’s Independence Day as Nakba Day (Day of Disaster) and raised black flags. There is a directive on terrorism, according to which those who collaborate with it must face the law.”
Lieberman did not restrict his condemnation to Arab MKs, adding, “There is no difference between … Neturei Karta [Extreme anti-Zionist Hassidic group] and the Islamic Movement. They are both collaborators of global terror.”
Arab party members and legislators from the Labor and Meretz parties responded to the new minister’s remarks with outrage, saying that Lieberman had crossed "all red lines." Other parties who weighed in against the remarks included the Advocacy Center for Arab Citizens in Israel and Hadash party chairman and Knesset member Mohammad Barakeh.
Tibi immediately demanded that Attorney General Menachem Mazuz open a criminal investigation against Lieberman for violating the law against incitement and racism.
Nitzan said that after examining a transcript of Lieberman’s remarks, the State Prosecutor’s office decided that “the words are not incitement to violence or incitement to racism.”
Knesset members Azmi Bishara, Jamal Zahalka and Wasil Tahal of the National Democratic Assembly (Balad) party paid an unauthorized visit to Syria in September after the war with Iranian and Syrian-sponsored Hizbullah terrorists in southern Lebanon. They were accompanied by two former Arab Knesset members, Muhammed Miari and Muhammed Kana’an.
One of the current Knesset members said bluntly that the Israeli Arab legislators planned to return to Syria “if necessary.” Bishara added, “Israel won’t tell us with which Arabs we can forge ties.”
All five were questioned by police upon their return, but none were arrested.
Another Arab Knesset member, Ibrahim Tzartzour, called Defense Minister Amir Peretz a “child murderer” in a Knesset session after an attack on a village considered a Hizbullah stronghold during the war.
A scant few days earlier, MK Tahal was seen in public correspondence with readers on the Arabic-language IslamOnline website, as saying he had repeatedly advised Palestinian Authority terrorists to battle and kidnap Israeli soldiers.
IDF Cpl. Gilad Shalit has been held hostage by Hamas terrorists since their attack on an army outpost near the Kerem Shalom border crossing on June 25th. His whereabouts remain unknown, although negotiations for his release continue.