Israeli MK's worry that Islamist Arab Knesset members will reveal sensitive information in meeting with Hamas terrorists

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/print.php3?what=news&id=102200

Representatives of the Arab Ra'am-Ta'al faction in Knesset met Wednesday with representatives of the Hamas terrorist organization, currently ruling the Palestinian Authority.

The meeting took place in Jerusalem, in the home of Muhammad Abu-Tir, a member of the PA governing body.

As the festival of Passover drew to a close and news of the meeting between Arab Knesset representatives and Hamas members in Jerusalem became public knowledge, MKs from several parties voiced sharp reactions.

Yoel Hasson, of the Kadima party, said: "The Arab MKs again proved that their loyalty is to the Palestinian Authority and its leadership, and not to the State of Israel and its laws. I call upon the attorney general to investigate whether their behavior does not fall under the rubric of treason."

The Likud party reaction was a statement saying, "The event proves that the Central Elections Committee erred when it rejected the Likud petition to disqualify the Ra'am-Ta'al list. The close relations between Hamas and the Ra'am list demanded the disqualification of that list."

Ra'am-Ta'al is affiliated with the Islamic Movement in Israel and headed by Israeli Arab Islamist activists. The party chairman, Ibrahim Sarsour has called for Israel to be replaced by an Islamic state, which precipitated the failed Likud petition ahead of the recent elections to disqualify the party from running.

Knesset members from the right-wing National Union-National Religious Party joint list joined the chorus, with MK Effie Eitam calling for Ra'am-Ta'al MK Talab El-San'a to be immediately removed from the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. His request was relayed to MK Haim Ramon (Kadima), chairman of the Knesset Arrangements Committee. Eitam commented, "I serious suspicions that El-San'a will make inappropriate use of the sensitive information revealed to him in the committee... in a way that will compromise state security."

MK Tzvi Hendel, chairman of the NU-NRP faction said that now Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will face a test of his mettle: "Olmert will now be tested as to whether he continues winking at the Hamas leadership or allows the solid majority that exists in Knesset to seriously punish the enemies among us in an unprecedented fashion," Hendel said.

MK Zevulun Orlev, head of the National Religious Party, called the Arab MKs "Trojan Horses in the Israeli Knesset" and demanded that they face immediate charges. Orlev's colleague from the National Union, MK Aryeh Eldad, commented that no Israeli interested in the continued existence of the Jewish state "will be particularly sorry if the Arab MKs who identify with Hamas give up their citizenship and join Abu-Tir."