Arab Knesset member threatens to leave parliament
In an interview, Arab Knesset member Basel Ghattas warns of a growing trend where Israeli politics is no longer a fair game, which might lead to his faction leaving parliament.
![Israeli Arab lawmaker Haneen Zoabi (L) waits before a hearing at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem Israeli Arab lawmaker Haneen Zoabi (L) waits before a hearing at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem December 27, 2012. Zoabi appealed to the Supreme Court after Israel's electoral authority barred her from re-election on December 19, saying she had supported the nation's enemies by joining a protest ship that tried to break a naval blockade of Gaza. REUTERS/Ammar Awad (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR3BXBA](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/almpics/2014/10/RTR3BXBA.jpg/RTR3BXBA.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=ml1TQiFB)
Knesset member Basel Ghattas managed to infuriate the members of the Committee to Advance the Status of Women and Gender Equality during a discussion on the topic of “women in the diplomatic security discourse.”
As soon as he was given the floor Oct. 28, Ghattas surprised everyone present by pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket and reading a powerful personal statement. It soon became clear that Ghattas was reading a speech by Knesset member Haneen Zoabi, a member of his faction and of the committee, who received a six-month suspension from the Knesset by the Ethics Committee for making “offensive statements.”