ISRAELI COMMITTEE DISCUSSES PROPOSAL TO DEBAR ARAB MKS

Tel Aviv, 11 Safar 1437/23 November 2015 (MINA) – Israel’s Ministerial Committee for Legislation will discuss a draft bill on Sunday that aims to make the debarring and removal of Knesset members (MKs) easier, especially Arab members like Hanin Zoabi MK and Basel Ghattas MK.

According to Haaretz newspaper, the draft bill proposed by Avigdor Lieberman prohibits the Supreme Court from interfering in the decisions of this particular committee regarding the removal and debarring of Knesset candidates and members.

It added that Lieberman drafted the bill in order to hinder the nomination of members of the National Democratic Assembly, especially Zoabi and Ghattas, in future elections, due to their statements and activities. Middle East Monitor (MEMO) reported, Saturday.

The Supreme Court had earlier revoked decisions made by the Elections Committee, which is made up of political representatives, to ban candidates, one of whom was Hanin Zoabi. Lieberman’s bill, if made law, would eliminate the ability of the court to intervene in the decisions of the Elections Committee, which should be “final and decisive, and unable to be objected to”.

The draft bill also claims that “the interference of the Supreme Court in the committee’s decisions is being exploited by MKs as they make statements that go beyond the barriers of democracy and aim to harm the state and its institutions.”

Former Foreign Minister Lieberman is infamous as an extreme right-wing racist, with very strong anti-Arab views. (T/P002/R03)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)