Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit is working to revoke the citizenship of former Knesset Member Azmi Bishara, who fled the country last year when it appeared that an investigation into his affairs might result in an indictment.
The probe revealed that Bishara, head of the Israeli Arab Balad party, had provided agents from the Hizbullah terrorist organization with classified information during the Second Lebanon War.
According to a report published Friday in the Hebrew-language daily newspaper Ma’ariv, Sheetrit has asked Yuval Diskin, head of the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) and Attorney General Menachem Mazuz, to give their professional opinions on how to legally revoke Bishara’s citizenship.
Since leaving the country in April 2007, just before he was to be indicted, Bishara has resided in various Arab states that are hostile to the State of Israel, and has spoken out against Israel numerous times.
Bishara has also actively been engaged in marshalling forces against the state, including those from within the Israeli Arab population. On July 17, 2008, the former MK spoke via video conference to a Balad party youth convention from Qatar, and warned his young audience to avoid any positive integration with Jews.
“National Service is an Israeli attempt to erase the psychological barrier that teenagers have when it comes to serving in the IDF,” he said, “thus trying to erase our identity.”
Despite his misdeeds and suspected treason, Bishara continues to receive the same generous severance package of benefits that are provided to all former Knesset members.
The High Court of Justice in September upheld Bishara’s right to receive a pension from his years as an Israeli lawmaker, despite evidence that he committed treason against the state. The court also ruled that he is entitled to retain his Israeli citizenship.