MK Ayman Odeh refuses to denounce terror, Knesset panel votes to expel him
By a 14–2 margin, lawmakers move to oust MK Ayman Odeh over his refusal to label Hamas and Hezbollah as terror groups.
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The Knesset House Committee voted Monday afternoon to approve the ouster of MK Ayman Odeh, with 14 members in favor and only 2 opposed. Support came not only from all coalition parties but also from opposition factions including Yisrael Beytenu, Yesh Atid, and the National Unity Party.
The dismissal procedure now heads to the Knesset plenum, where it will require the support of 90 MKs to pass. A final vote is expected within three weeks.
The discussion was initiated by MK Avichai Boaron, who stated: “Throughout the deliberations, Odeh refused to retract or apologize; in fact, he doubled down. He still won’t recognize Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist organizations. You can’t separate his remarks from the broader context, and I’m confident the Knesset will vote overwhelmingly to remove him.”
Committee Chairman MK Ofir Katz added, “In a proper country, Ayman Odeh would be rotting in jail and stripped of his citizenship. I hope parties like Yesh Atid and National Unity won’t backtrack in the plenum. Odeh must go.”