Sunday, June 21FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA, PALESTINE WILL BE FREE

Knesset panel bans Arab MK for reciting controversial poem

NOVANEWS

Ahmed Tibi will not be able to participate in parliament sessions for one week following a verbal attack on Yisrael Beiteinu’s Anastasia Michaeli after she spilled a glass of water on a fellow MK.

By Jonathan Lis

The Knesset’s Ethics Committee baned Israeli Arab MK Ahmed Tibi participating in sessions in any of the Israeli parliaments’ sessions on Tuesday, following a controversial poem he recited following an incident involving Yisrael Beiteinu MK Anastasia Michaeli.
Last week, Michaeli was banned from the Knesset after she poured a glass of water on Israeli Arab MK Raleb Majadele (Labor) during a committee session last week.
Tibi reciting his poem:

Following the incident, Tibi read a short poem poking fun at Michaeli, the words of which were: “Anastasia, who has a problem with her plumbing / who grew there in the garbage pile of Yisrael Beiteinu [Israel our Home], / Or should we say, Russia our Home, / From which the road was short for the bill called muezzin, now a joint Bibi- Anastasia venture / As well as her unwise use of water, during a dry spell in which every drop counts / For, Israel may be drying [mityabeshet], but it is far from being ashamed [mitbayeshet], / Anastasia, who has run amok, / Poured water on her colleague / And thus I will call the baby by its name: Kos Amok [literally, a ‘glass of madness’, but a play on words on an Arabic profanity].
Michaeli spilling water on Majadele:

The Knesset Ethics Committee ruling, which allows Tibi vote, came after earlier this week the United Arab List – Ta’al MK lodged an official complaint with Knesset security after a number of death threats were posted to his Facebook page following his recitation.
Knesset authorities have transferred the complaint to Israel Police.
“The ethics committee has no Arab members and I am treated by some of its members as enemy, thus its decision is tainted prejudice,” Tibi responded to the decision.
 

MK Ahmed Tibi - Oliver Fitoussi - 20092011 MK Ahmed Tibi
Photo by: Oliver Fitoussi

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *