MK Hanin Zoabi was indicted Thursday by the Northern District State Attorney’s Office on charges of “disgracing a public servant.”
The prosecution filed the charge as part of a plea bargain in which the Knesset member agreed to plead guilty as charged.
In return, the prosecution agreed not to charge the lawmaker with a more serious accusation of incitement to racism or threats.
The prosecution is also expected to seek a suspended prison term; Zoabi, however, is expected to vigorously oppose this and argue for a fine.
The accusation results from a July 6, 2014 incident in which Zoabi sneered at Israeli Arab security personnel. The MK told a mob of demonstrators at a court in Nazareth that Israeli Arabs who work for government security forces “should be scared of us.”
Zoabi called Israeli Arab police officers “traitors.” She told the mob to spit in their faces and made remarks with implied threats towards the officers.
The plea deal worked out with the MK was signed in December by Zoabi and outgoing Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein.