MK Iman Khatib-Yasin (United Arab List) apologized on Sunday evening after she denied, earlier in the day, the horrors of the October 7th massacre in southern Israel.
"I was mistaken, I am sorry for it and apologize. I had no intention to belittle or deny the shocking massacre on October 7th and the terrible acts against women, babies, and the elderly who were murdered in the South. From the first day, I expressed a clear position regarding the condemnation and denunciation of these terrible acts against Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel on that black Saturday, and I should emphasize this again, especially now," the MK stated.
Khatib-Yasin was interviewed by Arutz Haknesset on Sunday and was asked about the uncensored compilation of footage of the October 7th massacre that was shown to MKs last week.
Khatib-Yasin admitted that she did not watch the screening but said that from what she heard from a "first-person account," the footage did not show the slaughter of babies or the rape of women.
"What happened was difficult. For me, it's terrible, something very big that can not be tolerated, but we are not dealing with semantics. I am a religious Muslim woman - and what happened is against Muslim ethics," the MK stated. "However, you can't ignore what happened beforehand. It does not justify it, but what is happening now within Arab society is difficult."
The United Arab List quickly released a statement in which it called on MK Khatib-Yasin to resign.
Justice Minister Yariv Levin responded: "I am shocked by the words of MK Iman Khatib-Yasin, which are somewhat of a denial of the massacre perpetrated by Hamas on October 7th.
A few days ago, even before MK Khatib-Yasin made her remarks, I instructed the professionals in the Justice Ministry to formulate a bill that would outlaw the denial of the massacre and set a severe punishment for those who do so."
Minister Chili Tropper responded: "The words of MK Yasin are a terrible disgrace. One can not deny the horrors and the terrible massacre of children, women, men, and the elderly by Hamas. The United Arab List leadership did well by telling MK Yasin that she should resign. She has no place in Israel's Knesset.