Far-right "Israeli" politician calls for execution of some Arab MPs

Source: AFP, 4-5-2006
JERUSALEM (AL-QUDS) - The leader of the Jewish ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beitenu party raised an uproar after calling for the execution of "Israeli" Arab MPs that have been in contact with members of Hamas.
"During the Nuremberg trials at the end of World War II not only the criminals but their accomplices were executed. I hope this will be the fate of the collaborators in this house too," Avigdor Lieberman said in parliament.
Several "Israeli" Arab MPs have met in recent weeks with members of the Hamas government, with which the "Israeli" government has cut all ties.
Yisrael Beitenu was left out of the coalition government led by Ehud Olmert`s Kadima party after talks between the sides collapsed.
"We demanded that the (government) guidelines specifically mention that all those who incite and collaborate with (so-called) `terrorism` sitting in this house bear the full punishment," Lieberman claimed.
"All those who continue to meet freely with Hamas and Hizbullah and travel time and again to Lebanon" should be punished, Lieberman said.
Hizbullah is an occupation resistance party in Lebanon whose fighters spearheaded a guerrilla campaign that drove "Israeli" troops out of most of the south of the country six years ago and now continues to harass "Israeli" forces in the Shibaa Farms area they held onto as a bargaining chip.
"There is an anti-terror law, and according to it justice should be dealt to all those who collaborate," he said.
"Israeli" Arab MP Ahmed Tibi said in reaction that "it is a serious thing to compare members of the Knesset (parliament) to Nazi criminals because of their ethnic group."
"Lieberman has allowed the spilling of the blood of Arab MPs," he said.
One of the lawmakers, Azmi Bishara, met Hamas foreign minister Mahmud al-Zahar in Qatar last month.
"Israeli" Arab MP Taleb a-Sanah, who also met Hamas leaders in recent months, branded Lieberman`s statement as "incitement," and called the Russian-born MP a "sick person."
Following the storm of reactions that was raised by his statement, Lieberman came again to the podium but refused to back-track.
"There is no difference between Neturei Kartha and the Islamic movement" he said.
The Neturei Kartha is a small group of ultra-Orthodox Jews who consider the creation of the Jewish state an abomination and call for its destruction. Several of their leaders have met with Iranian and Hamas leaders in recent months.
"I do not intend to take back one word of what I said. I plan on implementing every word," Lieberman said in parliament amid loud protests from other lawmakers.