Ben-Gvir calls for banishment of Arab MK over Resistance remark
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Ayman Odeh, the head of the Hadash-Ta'al alliance, condemned the Palestinian Resistance's operation al-Aqsa Flood, describing it as a "very deep moral injury," but added that "every nation has a right to struggle against its conqueror."
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Ayman Odeh, leader of the Joint List, speaks after the first exit polls of the "Israel's" elections in Shefa-Amr, occupied Palestine, Monday, March, 2, 2020. (AP)
Israeli news sources on Wednesday reported that "Israel's" Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for the forced displacement of Arab lawmaker Ayman Odeh following comments Odeh made regarding the Palestinian right to struggle against occupation.
Speaking at the Knesset Science and Technology Committee, Odeh, the head of the Hadash-Ta'al alliance, condemned the Palestinian Resistance's operation al-Aqsa Flood, describing it as a "very deep moral injury," but added that "every nation has a right to struggle against its conqueror."
Odeh clarified that his stance opposed the "harming of innocents", but his acknowledgment of the Palestinian right to resist sparked backlash from Israeli figures, including Ben-Gvir, who referred to Odeh as the "representative of the terrorists in the Knesset."
“This is true in every place in the world, and this is the right of the Palestinian people," Odeh said.
Ben-Gvir further escalated tensions by sharing a video of Odeh's remarks, asserting that proposed legislation allowing for the "deportation" of family members of Hamas fighters could be extended to include the lawmaker.
Deportation law
The controversy comes against the backdrop of the Knesset's recent passage of a contentious law permitting the forced displacement of first-degree relatives of individuals involved in Operation al-Aqsa Flood.
Under the law, the interior minister has the authority to expel family members who had prior knowledge of the operation and either failed to report them or expressed support for Palestinian Resistance. Those to be forcibly displaced can be sent to the Gaza Strip or other destinations, depending on the circumstances.
Critics, including the Justice Ministry and the Attorney General's Office, have raised alarms over the legislation, citing its potential violation of international law and its implications for collective punishment.
While supporters claim the measures are essential for "Israel's" security, detractors see them as draconian policies targeting Palestinian communities and silencing dissent within "Israel."
Read more: Ben-Gvir says Jewish lives matter more than Arabs'
It is important to note that Odeh is indigenous to Palestine, whereas Ben-Gvir is a descendant of immigrants from Iraq and Iran.
