Itamar Ben-Gvir, head of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, locks horns with Joint Arab List MK Ahmad Tibi on Monday while the latter was chairing a routine parliamentary session, in an incident that saw the Arab MK order Ben-Gvir be forcibly removed from the plenum.
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Ben-Gvir, whose faction is part of the hawkish Religious Zionist Party, addressed the Knesset during a session on coronavirus restrictions, began his address by acknowledging the Knesset speaker and other lawmakers, but notably snubbed Tibi, who, as deputy speaker, was filling in for Knesset Speaker Mickey Levy.
Tib interrupted Ben-Gvir and demanded he be addressed as "Mr. Deputy Speaker," as is Knesset tradition, but the former refused, asserting, "You are a terrorist, not a 'Sir' or a 'Mr.' You should be in the Knesset in Syria, not here."
Tibi then ordered Knesset ushers in the plenum to remove Otzma Yehudit's leader from the podium and then the plenary hall, but Ben-Gvir refused to leave.
The ushers had no choice by to physically drag him out of the hall.
In a statement following the incident, Ben- Gvir asserted, "Ahmad Tibi is a terrorist who gave security guards instructions exceeding his authority. This will not be allowed to stand."
Ben-Gvir, an attorney, asserted that "there is no clause in the Knesset bylaws that requires me to address whoever is chairing the [Knesset] session as 'Mr.,' certainly not if he is a terrorist who was [PLO head Yasser] Arafat's adviser and should be in the Syrian parliament."
He further alleged that Tibi had abused his authority, saying he would demand Levy remove him as deputy Knesset speaker.
A statement by Tibi slammed Ben-Gvir's conduct: "This is disgusting, violent and racist behavior that must be stopped," the Ta'al faction leader said, adding he would bring the case before the Knesset Ethics Committee once it is formed.
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