Ghattas suspended from Knesset debates
By ILANA MESSIKA
The Knesset Ethics Committee decided on Monday to suspend Joint List Party Knesset Member (KM) Basel Ghattas from Knesset debates for a period of six months. Ghattas is currently being investigation on suspicions of illegally smuggling cellphones to convicted security prisoners.
MK Basel Ghattas (Photo by Eitan Elhadez/TPS)
Despite the ban, Ghattas will continue to receive his salary and will retain voting rights in the Knesset Plenum. The Committee believes that the act for which Ghattas is being investigated “constitutes a violation of ethics.”
The Committee composed of four members of Knesset, two from the coalition and two from the opposition, is “responsible for the jurisdiction over Knesset Members who have violated Knesset ethics rules or have been involved in illegal business outside the Knesset.”
Knesset rules require members to “dedicate his/her time as needed to protect the honor of the Knesset and its members, and to behave in an appropriate and fitting manner as bespeaks his/her public position without abusing the right to immunity.” The Committee does not have the right to suspend an MK’s right to vote.
On Israel Radio, MK Ghattas described the decision of the Knesset Committee as a “unprecedented and vindictive decision.” According to him, the members of the committee appointed themselves as judges and ruled on his fate prior to the clearing of the suspicions made against him and the end of the investigation, which constitutes a clear political decision rather than a substantive one.
Ghattas further added he will ponder turning to the Supreme Court in order to overturn their decision.
Last Tuesday, the Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court ordered Ghattas released from police custody to house arrest, but said he could still participate in Knesset debates and to vote while under supervision. The Court also ruled on financial restrictions and prohibited Ghattas from contacting others involved in the case, from leaving the country and from visiting detention facilities and/or visit security prisoners for a period of 180 days.
Ghattas was arrested on December 23 after allegedly abusing his parliamentary immunity to smuggle cellphones, SIM cards and printed material to Palestinian security prisoners earlier in the week. As a Knesset member, Ghattas was permitted to enter Ketziot Prison without submitting to normal prison security measures.
MK Oren Hazan (Likud) slammed the Committee decision, calling it a victory for terrorism. “The Ethics Committee rewarded terrorism. Instead of punishing a terrorist traitor who infiltrated the ranks of the Knesset, the Ethics Committee sent Ghattas on a fully-funded, state-paid vacation.
“With all due respect to the explanation that the Ethics Committee does not have the jurisdiction to suspend an MK’s voting privileges or the authority to take away his salary, the bottom like is that the person will be able to continue to working against the interests of the State of Israel… and to do it while laugh all the way to the bank.
“This is not the way to fight traitors and terrorists who infiltrate the ranks of the Knesset. It’s the way to strike a blow to the strength of a country that wants to live,” Hazan said.
It is the first MK suspension since February 2016, when Joint List MKs Haneen Zoabi and Ghattas were suspended from participation in plenum or committee discussions for four months, along with MK Jamal Zahalka for two months. This decision occurred when the MKs faced disciplinary action following their meeting with families of terrorists who murdered Israelis.
