Middle East Monitor / July 27, 2021
Far-right Israeli MK Itamar Ben Gvir called his Arab [Palestinian] colleague Ahmad Tibi a “terrorist” while he was chairing a session in the Knesset yesterday night, local media reported.
Tibi were involved in a debate about the coronavirus when Ben Gvir took to the plenum and addressed Jewish MKs respectfully, but ignored the session’s Deputy Speaker Tibi.
Tibi demanded Ben Gvir address him as “Mr Deputy Speaker” as is a Knesset tradition, The Times of Israel reported.
“You are a terrorist, not a sir or a Mr. You should be in the Knesset in Syria, not here,” Ben Gvir responded. Tibi then ordered the Knesset Guard to forcibly remove Ben Gvir from the Knesset Hall.
After leaving the Knesset, Ben Gvir continued his aggression against the Arab MK saying: “Ahmad Tibi is a terrorist who gave security guards instructions contrary to his authority.”
He pledged to take revenge, saying: “This will not pass quietly.”
Ben Gvir claimed that there is no clause in the Knesset’s rules that requires him to address Tibi as ‘Mr’, pledged to have the Arab MK sacked from the post of deputy speaker over what he described as his abuse of power.
For his part, Tibi said in a statement: “This is disgusting, violent and racist behaviour that must be stopped,” adding that this issue would be brought before the Knesset Ethics Committee.
