Knesset's Arab list head accuses Netanyahu of targeting alliance

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
30 Jun 2025 22:44

Ayman Odeh accuses Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu of seeking to expel him and delegitimize the Arab list to secure a far-right majority.

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Ayman Odeh of the Arab Front for Change (Hadash/Taal) list addresses supporters in the northern city of Shefa Amr after election polls closed, on November 1, 2022. (AFP)

Ayman Odeh, head of the Joint List (Hadash-Ta’al) in the Israeli parliament, accused occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of attempting to delegitimize the political alliance and pressure the judiciary to disqualify it.

Speaking to Al Mayadeen, Odeh said this effort is part of a broader plan to enable the Israeli right wing to secure an absolute majority in the parliament, also known as the Knesset.

He described the attempt to dismiss him as rooted in "preconceived intentions", affirming that “any retreat from my positions would be a betrayal.”

He pledged to continue resisting his removal and to “stand firm in defense of our people’s interests.”

Part of the Palestinian people

Referring to the Palestinian population in the territories occupied by "Israel" in 1948, Odeh stressed, “We are the sons of the Palestinian people and of their cause,” affirming that “there is nothing that could make us back down from our positions.”

He asserted that “our fundamental struggle is in our land,” stating he feels their stance is “stronger than theirs [Israelis], far from racist ideologies,” and pointed out that grassroots mobilization remains an active option.

Oslo brought no peace, Israeli right wing turned to killing

Odeh also noted that the 1993 Oslo Accords did not bring peace, emphasizing that the Israeli right wing, especially after the October 7, 2023, events, has turned to killing Palestinians without achieving any strategic gains.

Knesset committee votes to proceed with Odeh's expulsion

Earlier on Monday, the Knesset committee voted by majority to proceed with the expulsion process against Odeh, despite serious legal reservations expressed by the legal advisor.

The decision was backed by 14 members of the 25-member committee, supported by coalition parties, and explicitly endorsed by lawmakers from the Yisrael Beiteinu party.

The motion will now move to a full Knesset vote in the coming days or weeks. For the expulsion to take effect, it must receive the support of 90 members, regardless of how many are present during the vote.

Odeh retains the right to appeal the decision before the Supreme Court once it is finalized.

The move to dismiss Odeh dates back five months, when he expressed his joy over the release of Palestinian prisoners following the first phase of the prisoner exchange deal between "Israel" and the Palestinian Resistance in Gaza in a post on his page on the platform X.

As a result, Knesset member Avichay Boaron began collecting the signatures of 70 lawmakers to demand Odeh's dismissal.

More recently, Odeh was suspended from Knesset plenary sessions for two weeks by a decision of the Ethics Committee, following statements in which he accused "Israel" of committing massacres and starving people in the Gaza Strip.