Proposed Legislation in Israeli Parliament to Deny Rights to Outspoken Palestinian MPs, like Azmi Bishara

Knesset pushing through legislation to deny rights to Palestinian MKs

Date: 02 / 07 / 2008 Time: 10:00
Bethlehem - Ma'an -

Two bills directed towards Palestinian MPs have made their way through the Israeli parliament (Knesset in Hebrew) this week.

Members of the Knesset will vote on a bill Wednesday that, if approved, will deprive former parliament Member (MK) Azmi Bishara of his pension and any further payment from the government body.

Bishara, born in Nazareth and the son of Palestinian Christians, left Israel more than one year ago and is retired from parliament. During his time as an MK, Bishara was accused of selling state information to Syria and Hizbullah agents. He has denied all accusations vociferously.

MKs Yitzhak Levy and Zvi Hendel, on behalf of the Israeli national religious party Mafdal (Ichud Leumi –Mafdal, also known as the National Union party), initially proposed the legislation.

A second bill likely to affect Palestinian parliament members was approved Monday.

The bill states that anyone who traveled to an "enemy country" without the permission of the interior ministry within seven years of their nomination for a seat would be unable to run for election.

After passing its first reading on 10 June, the Knesset agreed on Monday to accelerate the ratification of the amendment to the Basic Law, and - according to Israeli media sources - passed the law later the same day.

According to the Israeli Press, individuals who visited Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Yemen are considered to have expressed "support for armed struggle against Israel," and should thus be ineligible to take a seat in the parliament.

The bill was originally called unconstitutional by the Israeli Ministry of Justice, but passed when the "proof of innocence" clause was added. According to Israeli press sources, the clause says that an MP candidate cannot stand for election "unless the candidate can prove that his stay in the enemy country did not entail support for armed struggle."

One press agency quoted MK Zevulun Orlev (National Union-NRP) as saying: "The Bishara affair and the defiance carried out by many of the Arab MKs, such as their visits to Syria and their meetings with Hamas leaders, are not within the scope of freedom of speech, but rather a blatant encouragement of the armed struggle in Israel and the encouragement of terror against its civilians."

The bill is not retroactive, but will take effect in time for the next elections.

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