The Election Committee ruled yesterday that Arab MK Ahmed Tibi, who has long served as an advisor to Yasser Arafat, may not run for Knesset. Tibi said that he would appeal the decision to the special Supreme Court body assigned to be the final arbiter on the eligibility of candidates.
Samples of Tibi's remarks in the past:
* In July 2001, he told a Jordanian newspaper that if the PA avenges the deaths of the three members of the Tamizi family, "I will not condemn it." He was referring to the roadside killing a few days beforehand outside an Arab village, though it was not clear whether the murderers had been Jews or Arabs.
* In August of that year, Tibi took part in the funeral of arch-terrorist Abu Ali Mustafa in Ramallah, who had been killed by an Israeli missile. Tibi said that many of those leading the Palestinian violence against Israel are his personal friends.
* Last year, Tibi and MK Muhammed Barakeh met with the #2 man in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine terrorist organization, members of which had assassinated Rehavam Ze'evi only weeks before.
* Earlier this year, Tibi had his immunity partially removed by the Knesset because of his strong praise for the Jenin terrorists and the strong fight they put up against IDF soldiers.
* In 1999, he said, "We hold that the Jewish character of the State of Israel must be annulled."
Sha'ul Mofaz and Moshe Feiglin also plan to appeal their disqualifications, and the Labor Party plans to appeal the rejection of its request to disqualify Baruch Marzel.
The Elections Committee will decide today whether to nullify Arab MK Azmi Bishara's candidacy, in light of his statements of support for Hizbullah and other comments reflecting his wish to see the end of Israel as a Jewish state. The State Prosecution has presented many statements he made in support of Hizbullah and armed struggle against Israel. Bishara also met with Hamas leaders in Hevron whom he told that he is "fighting the same war against Israel" as they are. "The main objectives of [Bishara's party] Balad are to negate the existence of Israel as a Jewish state, and to support the terrorist organizations' armed struggle against Israel," according to Attorney-General Elyakim Rubenstein.
Samples of Tibi's remarks in the past:
* In July 2001, he told a Jordanian newspaper that if the PA avenges the deaths of the three members of the Tamizi family, "I will not condemn it." He was referring to the roadside killing a few days beforehand outside an Arab village, though it was not clear whether the murderers had been Jews or Arabs.
* In August of that year, Tibi took part in the funeral of arch-terrorist Abu Ali Mustafa in Ramallah, who had been killed by an Israeli missile. Tibi said that many of those leading the Palestinian violence against Israel are his personal friends.
* Last year, Tibi and MK Muhammed Barakeh met with the #2 man in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine terrorist organization, members of which had assassinated Rehavam Ze'evi only weeks before.
* Earlier this year, Tibi had his immunity partially removed by the Knesset because of his strong praise for the Jenin terrorists and the strong fight they put up against IDF soldiers.
* In 1999, he said, "We hold that the Jewish character of the State of Israel must be annulled."
Sha'ul Mofaz and Moshe Feiglin also plan to appeal their disqualifications, and the Labor Party plans to appeal the rejection of its request to disqualify Baruch Marzel.
The Elections Committee will decide today whether to nullify Arab MK Azmi Bishara's candidacy, in light of his statements of support for Hizbullah and other comments reflecting his wish to see the end of Israel as a Jewish state. The State Prosecution has presented many statements he made in support of Hizbullah and armed struggle against Israel. Bishara also met with Hamas leaders in Hevron whom he told that he is "fighting the same war against Israel" as they are. "The main objectives of [Bishara's party] Balad are to negate the existence of Israel as a Jewish state, and to support the terrorist organizations' armed struggle against Israel," according to Attorney-General Elyakim Rubenstein.