Arab MKKK lodges complaint after receiving death threats on Facebook

NOVANEWS

Threatening messages posted on MK Ahmed Tibi’s page after he delivers speech poking fun at right-wing MK, Anastassia Michaeli, who threw water at a fellow lawmaker during Knesset session last week.

By Jonathan Lis

Haaretz 

MK Ahmed Tibi (United Arab List – Ta’al) lodged an official complaint with Knesset security on Sunday after a number of death threats were posted to his Facebook page.

Knesset authorities have transferred the complaint to Israel Police.

Israeli Arab MK Ahmed Tibi at his office in Jerusalem

Israeli Arab MK Ahmed Tibi at his office in Jerusalem in May, 2010

Photo by: Emil Salman

The threats were posted following a brief but colorful speech Tibi delivered to the Knesset last week, entitled “Problems with Anastassia’s plumbing”. The speech was dedicated to MK Anastassia Michaeli (Yisrael Beiteinu), who was suspended from the Knesset for a period of one month after pouring a glass of water on Arab MK Raleb Majadele (Labor) during a committee session last week.

Tubi’s parliamentary aide, Ahmad Muhanna, said while the MK has received death threats in the past, he viewed the latest as part of a broader trend of incitement against Arab MKs in recent months.

“Unfortunately, MK Tibi receives threats occasionally, but this time they were blunt, and on a Facebook page with names, and I hope the police will find the people who made these threats soon,” said Muhanna.

Shutafut-Sharakah, a coalition of Jewish and Arab civil society organizations, issued a statement calling the incidents “a direct continuation of the out-of-control Jewish terrorism against Arabs and peace activists.”

The group also called it “odd” that the perpetrators of these incidents have yet to be apprehended by the police.

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