Likud MK implies Ayman Odeh ‘security threat’ at Knesset impeachment hearing

Tempers flared in the Knesset on Tuesday as lawmakers convened a House Committee hearing on the potential impeachment of Hadash-Ta’al chairman MK Ayman Odeh, with Likud MK Ofri Katz accusing Odeh of being a threat to national security.
“While soldiers are fighting on seven fronts, the eighth front needs to be cleared, and Ayman Odeh is our eighth front,” Katz said in his opening remarks, implying that the Arab Israeli lawmaker’s continued presence in the Knesset weakens the state.
“He is continuously working to discredit and undermine Israel while strengthening its enemies,” Katz continued. “Since entering politics, he has done nothing for the Arabs of Israel; he is only for Gaza and against the State of Israel.”
Escalating his rhetoric, Katz added, “If he had behaved like this in countries like Syria, they would have hanged him in the city square.
“But Israel is not such a country. It is the only democracy in the Middle East that allows such a person to sit in our parliament.
“We will not allow this to continue, not in the name of free speech, and not in the name of tolerance.”
The committee convened to deliberate on whether to impeach Odeh following a recent controversial remark in which he appeared to equate Israeli hostages held in Gaza with Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
The comment sparked a wave of backlash from coalition lawmakers, who accused Odeh of legitimizing terrorism.
The session quickly devolved into a shouting match, with Katz shouting across the chamber, calling Odeh an “arch-terrorist,” prompting disorder and a brief pause in proceedings.
Odeh, for his part, has denied the accusations, defending his statement as a call for peace and prisoner exchange, not equivalence.
“What I said reflects the desire of families on both sides to see their loved ones return home alive,” he told reporters before the hearing.
Likud MK implies Ayman Odeh ‘security threat’ at Knesset impeachment hearing