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Terror-aiding lawmaker banned from Knesset activities but allowed to vote

The Knesset has taken action against a lawmaker who allegedly exploited his parliamentary rights in order to aid terrorists. 

The Knesset’s Ethics Committee voted on Monday to ban Member of Knesset (MK) Basel Ghattas, an Israeli-Arab lawmaker suspected of helping imprisoned Palestinians to commit more acts of terror, from participating in discussions at the Knesset’s various committees, from submitting law proposals and from addressing the plenum for the next six months.

However, he was not banned from voting at the Knesset’s plenum, and his salary was not confiscated.

Ethics Committee members stated that Ghattas, through his actions, has deeply harmed the Knesset’s prestige and that he cannot hide behind his immunity and continue to commit crimes against the country.

Ghattas is suspected of giving phones to imprisoned senior terrorists of the Hamas and Fatah terror organizations and of taking written messages to them. The phones would be used to coordinate terror activities from within the prison.

Arrested last Thursday on charges of conspiracy to commit a crime, fraud, breach of trust and violation of Israel Prisons Service orders, he was released several days later and sent home to 10 days of house arrest.

On Sunday, Assad Daka, the person who provided Ghattas with the phones and whose brother is imprisoned in Israel for acts of terrorism, was indicted at the Beer Sheva District Court.

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By: Aryeh Savir, World Israel News