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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 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
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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.”

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