An Israeli lawmaker was called an “idiot” after saying that there is no such thing as Palestine because the Arabic language does not contain the letter “P.” MK Anat Berko was speaking in the Knesset—Israel’s parliament—on Wednesday when she made the remarks.
While she was correct to say that Arabic does not have the “P” consonant, she appeared to neglect the fact that “Palestine” begins with an “F” sound in Arabic, as well as in Hebrew.
"I want to go back to history, what is our place here, about Jerusalem, about Palestine, when like we said, Arabic doesn't even have 'P,' so this loan-word also merits scrutiny,” she said during a debate on the Labor party’s plans for separation from Palestine.
"What? Did everyone hear this? Are you an idiot?" Meretz MK Tamar Zandberg responded.
Berko did not appear to be phased by his remarks, responding, "These are the facts. I'll send it to you, everything's alright."
Another MK, Osama Sa'adi from the Joint Arab List, reportedly left the room in protest of Berko’s statement.
