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

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