Israeli Knesset Moves to Expel MP Ayman Odeh Over Pro-Palestinian Statements
Odeh faces removal for supporting a Gaza prisoner exchange and denouncing the war, sparking outrage among far-right Israeli lawmakers.
Watan-The Israeli Knesset began formal procedures on Wednesday to expel MP Ayman Odeh, head of the Hadash-Ta’al Joint List, after 70 lawmakers signed a petition calling for his removal.
This move comes in response to statements Odeh made about three months ago expressing support for a comprehensive prisoner exchange deal involving the release of both Palestinian detainees and Israeli captives. He also declared at a recent “Peace Partnership” demonstration that “Gaza will triumph over the policy of war and destruction,” and that “the Palestinian people will defeat the occupation.”
Likud MK Avichay Boaron spearheaded the petition and accused Odeh of “equating Hamas fighters with kidnapped Israelis,” adding, “The Jewish people will defeat Gaza.”
In response, Odeh stated that he “stands proudly” behind his humanitarian stance, which calls for an immediate end to the war and a comprehensive political agreement. He emphasized that “the Palestinian people’s victory over the occupation is a historical inevitability” and that his views “reflect a human conscience and are supported by the vast majority of the world’s people.”
Odeh also criticized the petition’s signatories for their silence on the killing of children in Gaza, noting that some of them “called for Gaza to be completely wiped out.” He declared in a press statement: “I will stand firm—alongside national forces and every democratic, conscientious individual—and we will face this rabid campaign with confidence and deep conviction.”
