TELAVIV, May 24, 2010 (WAFA)- Israeli parliamentary panel met Monday, to discussed a request to strip six Israeli Arab MKs of their diplomatic immunity after they traveled to Libya earlier this month for talks with the Muslim country's president, Moammer Gadhafi, daily Haaretz said.
Haarets reported, the 40-member delegation comprised Israeli Arab lawmakers, journalists and religious leaders from the Israeli Arab sector, and marked the first time senior figures from the sector were visiting Libya.
“Libya is not officially considered an enemy state, but Ghadafi's outspoken criticism of Israel led lawmakers to demand action be taken against the MKs who joined the delegation,” Haaretz wrote.
The discussion was called by Israeli National Union MK Michael Ben Ari, who described the initiative as an historic opportunity to abolish once and for all the immunity and rights of Knesset members who hate Israel and denigrate the state.'
A number of MKs who took part in the panel discussion on Monday accused their colleagues of taking a discriminatory approach toward the Israeli Arabs over the visit, and warned that requests to revoke these lawmakers' rights would only prove detrimental to Israeli diplomacy.
MK Ilan Gilon called Knesset House Committee a 'Kahanistic horse' for convening to discuss, referring to deceased extreme rightist Rabbi Meir Kahane.
'Michael Ben-Ari doesn't want Arabs in Knesse?' asked Gilan. 'Let him turn that into legislation.'
'How can I decide which is more dangerous – a pathetic kiss with the ridiculous Ghadafi or cutting short the chair of the Turkish envoy?' added Gilon, describing what turned into a diplomat incident after Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon summoned the Turkish envoy and deliberately humiliated him.
The Israeli Arab MKs in question chose not to appear before the House Committee's discussion. A vote on the matter will take place only after further deliberation.
on response to Ben-Ari's motion, Tibi said: 'This is a bizarre and crazy debate in keeping with the atmosphere of persecution that emerges here time and again.'
He added: 'We will continue to preserve cultural and national ties with the Arab world, which is our natural constituency in our struggle for equality.'
