The Yisrael Beiteinu party on Monday initiated a motion against MK Haneen Zoabi (Joint Arab List), over statements made last weekend at the UN headquarters in NY. Zoabi called Israel a “fascist state,” accused it of “terrorism” against the demonstrations near the Gaza border fence, and called on “millions of Palestinians” to march on Jerusalem
MK Oded Forer (Yisrael Beiteinu), along with all the members of his faction intend to begin signing additional Knesset members, in order to bring to the plenum a bill proposing Zoabi’s permanent dismissal for her virulent attacks on her country.
Amendment No. 44 to Basic Law: The Knesset (July 27, 2016), also known as the “Dismissal Law,” allows the removal of a Knesset Member from office because of t denial of the existence of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, incitement to racism, or support for an enemy state or a terrorist organization. The amendment was enacted following MK Zoabi’s outrageous criticism of the actions of IDF soldiers in their takeover of the Mavi Marmara ship in 2010. Zoabi was a passenger on the ship which led a propaganda stunt against Israel’s right to prevent rocket attacks from Gaza against its civilians.
According amendment 44, the Knesset House Committee must propose the dismissal to the plenum that had been endorsed by a majority of three-quarters of its members, after receiving a petition signed by 70 MKs, 10 of whom are not members of the coalition. The vote then must be supported by 90 MKs. The dismissal would take effect within 14 days from the vote.
To date, the dismissal proceeding has been initiated only against former MK Bassel Ghattas—a Balad party and Joint Arab List member like Zoabi—after he had been caught smuggling cellphones to terrorists imprisoned in Israel. The 70 signatures had already been submitted to the committee when the offending MK resigned from the Knesset, having been indicted for the crime in question.