Impeachment of anti-Zionist Arab MK clears first hurdle with Opposition backing

Knesset committee votes 14 to 2 to proceed with impeachment of the leader of the Arab Hadash-Ta’al party, after he equated freed hostages with jailed terrorists, and declared “Gaza will win” against Israel.

By World Israel News Staff

The Knesset gave preliminary backing on Monday for a bid to impeach an anti-Zionist Arab lawmaker, over comments he made regarding the ongoing war with Hamas and the January hostage deal.

The Knesset’s House Committee voted 14 to 2 to move forward with the impeachment of MK Ayman Odeh, head of the Hadash-Ta’al party.

Odeh, a 50-year-old Haifa-born attorney who has led the Israeli Communist Party Hadash since 2015, came under fire this January after posting a comment on X lauding the hostage deal with Hamas while equating the captivity of Israeli hostages to the prison sentences of convicted Arab terrorists.

In his tweet, Odeh called for both jailed Arab terrorists and Israeli hostages to be “freed from the burden of occupation.”

In June, Odeh again sparked controversy, declaring at a pro-Gaza rally that “Gaza won, Gaza will win.” His comments came after a Likud lawmaker succeeded in securing the support of 70 MKs for his effort to impeach Odeh over his January tweet.

Opposition lawmakers, including members of Yisrael Beytenu, Yesh Atid, and National Unity, voted in favor of Odeh’s removal from office on Monday.

“The Opposition crossed a red line today. Instead of fighting the Kahanist government – ​​it collaborated with them in crushing the democratic space,” Odeh said afterwards.

“Some of them hate us more than they love democracy. This is not an opposition – it is a Coalition in disguise.”

“They want to subdue the judicial system, silence critical voices, and turn Israel into a messianic dictatorship. Today it’s me – tomorrow it’s you. Anyone who dares to oppose will be next in line.”

The impeachment measure will now proceed to the full Knesset, where it must win the backing of at least 90 MKs, or three-quarters of the 120-member body.

With the right-wing Coalition numbering just 68 MKs, at least 22 Opposition members must vote in favor of the Coalition-backed bill for it to pass.

“Today we took a very important step — the first step in the removal of Ayman Odeh, the eighth front against the State of Israel,” said Coalition Chairman MK Ofir Katz (Likud).

“Let’s hope that Lapid and Gantz don’t make a U-turn, don’t surrender to the terror supporters, and vote in the plenum in favor of removing the supporter of terrorists.”