Knesset fails to expel Arab MK Ayman Odeh

The Israeli parliament (the Knesset) failed on Monday evening to secure the majority needed to expel Arab MK Ayman Odeh, following a post in which he expressed support for a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas, along with comments backing Gaza.

According to the Hebrew newspaper Israel Hayom, 73 Knesset members voted in favour of expelling Odeh, while 15 voted against.

Odeh, who heads the Arab Front for Change list in the Knesset, can only be removed if 90 out of the 120 members vote for his expulsion, a number that was not reached.

Israeli Army Radio reported that members of the opposition parties Yesh Atid (23 seats) and Blue and White (8 seats), as well as United Torah Judaism (7 seats), which is part of the governing coalition, did not attend the voting session.

Commenting on the failure to remove him, Odeh wrote on X: “I am staying. The vile and fascist attempt against me has failed.”

He added: “This time fascism did not pass, and we will not let it pass. We will stand firm against it and continue the struggle for democracy, equality, and peace.”

He concluded: “From here, both peoples must be freed from the burden of occupation, because we were all born free.”

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