The Israeli Knesset is set to begin formal proceedings Tuesday to expel Ayman Odeh, head of the Hadash-Ta’al alliance, following public statements in which he expressed solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and detainees in Israeli prisons.

The move has sparked a heated debate over freedom of expression, minority rights, and the limits of political dissent during wartime.

Brave Israeli Arab lawmaker Ayman Odeh has been forcefully removed from the Knesset floor after calling out Gaza war.

This is the fate of honest men under tyrannical regimes.

I’ve never seen an American politician this passionate about justice.pic.twitter.com/Ndtu1k4iMd

— ADAM (@AdameMedia) May 24, 2025

The expulsion initiative was spearheaded by Likud MK Avihai Boaron, who announced he had secured 68 signatures from fellow lawmakers. Under Israel’s Basic Law: The Knesset, a sitting member can be expelled with the support of 90 out of 120 MKs, if found to have supported “armed struggle against the State of Israel”.

Odeh’s remarks—made in January and reiterated during a recent protest in Haifa—praised the release of both Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners as part of a ceasefire deal.

He later clarified that many of the released Palestinians were minors held without charge, but his comments were widely condemned across the political spectrum.

In response, Odeh denounced the proceedings as “shameless political persecution that is clearly racist”, warning that the move sets a dangerous precedent.

“Today it is us, tomorrow it is you,” he told opposition lawmakers, urging them not to legitimize what he called an anti-democratic campaign.

He also criticized the Knesset for advancing his expulsion while wartime emergency rules continue to block other legislative matters. “This contradiction reveals the political nature of the attack,” he said.

In a parallel move, the Knesset Ethics Committee has suspended Odeh for two weeks starting July 7, during which he will not receive a salary. The committee has not publicly released its decision, and its chair has declined to comment.

While the expulsion process has never been completed before, it came close in February 2024, when a motion to impeach MK Ofer Cassif fell short by just five votes. If Odeh is expelled, he would be entitled to appeal to the Israeli Supreme Court.

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