2023-11-21 13:52:32
A spectacle “both grotesque and sometimes nauseating”, according to the daily Time, as Israeli politics can sometimes produce. In the Knesset on Monday, representatives of families of hostages held by Hamas were drawn into a violent argument with members of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, and its most prominent representative Itamar Ben Gvir. The subject of the argument? A bill carried by these members of the Israeli parliament and the majority of Benjamin Netanyahu aimed at introducing the death penalty as a sentence for Hamas terrorists and other perpetrators of attacks.
The parents of some of the some 240 hostages kidnapped by terrorists on October 7 were invited to a hearing of the Knesset National Security Committee at a time when negotiations on the fate of the hostages are more than ever at the heart of the conflict. The families pleaded with members of parliament not to move forward with the possible legislation, fearing that such a law would have serious repercussions on their loved ones in captivity.
This is @Avigdorii he is a brilliant person. A comedy writer. A creative and a personal inspiration. On Oct 7th his beautiful funny daughter Noam and wife Sharon along with 5 more family members were kidnapped by Hamas to Gaza. They have no information, almost no officials>> pic.twitter.com/Dz3tSkyze7
— Noam Shuster Eliassi (@ShusterNoam) November 20, 2023
“Stop talking about killing Arabs and start talking about saving Jews”
In tears, Gil Dikman, whose cousin Carmel Gat has been detained since October 7, pleaded with the chairman of the National Security Committee, MP Zvika Fogel (Otzma Yehudit) and the Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir (Otzma Yehudit), not to proceed with the hearing of the bill. “Stop talking about killing Arabs and start talking about saving Jews,” he also shouted at the assembly reports the Israeli press.
Zvika Fogel said anyone trying to block the text is “protecting Hamas” more than the State of Israel, while MK Almog Cohen yelled at a man whose wife and daughter are being held hostage by Hamas. Hamas that it “did not have a monopoly on pain”.
Asked by a family member of a hostage if he thought the families were being used in this conflict, the MP replied: “I think Hamas is trying to exploit you, yes. And I’m not suggesting it, I’m saying it openly.”
Ben Gvir supporter of the death penalty
Itamar Ben Gvir was not left out in this stormy meeting. “The risk of kidnappings will decrease if we adopt this law now,” he argued. And according to him, this should not only apply to the Hamas members who participated in the massacre, but perhaps also to the “old man who came to mistreat the Israelis,” he said. He also did not miss the opportunity to insult Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over military operations in Gaza. “The previous doctrine has collapsed,” he insisted against the Prime Minister.
Moments later, off camera, Almog Cohen suffered a coughing fit and was taken to hospital. A spectacular outing which sparked irony on Israeli social networks.
Knesset Member Almog Cohen is now back home resting. Almost collapsed during an interview in which he described the horrors of October 7th.
Almog was in the hot zone on that day and fought an heroic battle, he witnessed his friend get slaughtered and some kidnapped.
We extend… pic.twitter.com/Zj8HQ0YYn9
— Mossad Commentary (@MOSSADil) November 20, 2023
Once calm returned, Zvika Fogel continued the meeting to prepare the controversial bill for a first reading in the Knesset plenary session, although it had not yet managed to gain support from the coalition in favor of it. of such legislation.
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