Free Republic

The Knesset Ethics Committee ruled on Monday night to suspend three Arab Knesset members following a public uproar over their meeting with the families of terrorists who committed murderous attacks against Israelis. MKs Hanin Zoabi and Basel Ghattas were suspended for a period of four months, while MK Jamal Zahalka was suspended for two months. All three are members of the Joint List's Balad faction. The three Knesset members will be barred from attending the Knesset plenum until the end of the winter session, but will still be able to vote there and in committee meetings. In the meeting last...

An Arab Knesset member who visited Toronto last week claimed that there is no democracy in Israel and that Arabs are victims of Israel’s “apartheid” policy. According to a report in Shalom Toronto, MK Jamal Zahalka (Balad) made the remarks during an appearance at the “Palestine House” in Toronto in honor of the Arab Land Day, which was marked on March 30. The report said that MK Zahalka’s lecture, which was entitled “Exposing the secrets of Israeli democracy”, focused on trying to disprove what he said is the “myth” of the existence of a genuine democratic government in Israel. …