Israel Today

MembersAyman Odeh’s victory, Israel’s loss

The attempt to impeach the Knesset member was an assertion of the duty of a democracy to protect itself from internecine foes who use its freedoms as a weapon.

Ruthie Blum

Jul 16, 2025 at 1:32 pm

| Topics: Israeli Arabs, Knesset

Though 73 out of a total of 120 lawmakers supported his ouster, the number fell short of the 90-strong supermajority required for such a move. Predictably, those against the measure were all Knesset members from Odeh’s party; Yair Golan’s far-left The Democrats (the merger between Labor and Meretz); and the Islamist United Arab List (Ra’am), headed by Mansour Abbas.

The United Torah Judaism Party’s seven MKs—who later that night quit Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and coalition over the controversial Haredi draft bill—boycotted the vote. Added to that were the eight members of Benny Gantz’s Blue and White Party and 18 out of the 23 legislators from Yesh Atid, chaired by opposition leader Yair Lapid, who absented themselves.

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