Dispute among United Arab List members in Knesset

Published November 6th, 2023 - 07:16 GMT
Iman Khatib, Israeli Knesset member of the United Arab List.
Iman Khatib, Israeli Arab Knesset member. (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP)

ALBAWABA - Members of the United Arab List party in Knesset witnessed a spat on Sunday evening over what happened on October 7. 

Members of the United Arab List, which is an Israeli political party represented and supported by Israeli Arabs, witnessed a dispute in opinions over Israel's narrative of what happened on Oct. 7.

On Oct. 7, the Hamas military group announced the Al-Aqsa Flood operation against Israel, which is the biggest offensive in decades.

Palestinian fighters “infiltrated” Israel from the Gaza Strip capturing military bases and taking hostages as photos and videos went viral online showing Hamas fighters on vehicles inside Israel and others paragliding into occupation territory. 

Yesterday, a member of the Israeli Knesset, Iman Khatib-Yasin, said that the film that the Israeli army showed to several Knesset members "did not include scenes of slaughtered children or the rape of women."

Meanwhile, the statement of Khatib-Yasin has triggered the leader of the United Arab List Mansour Abbas who said that the party is not responsible for Iman's statement about what happened on Oct. 7.

Abbas disavowed her statements and stressed that the United Arab List party "has no place for anyone who denies the October 7 massacre." 

According to local media, Knesset member Iman was requested to resign after her latest statements on the Hamas operation.

Yariv Levin, the Israeli Minister of Justice, in turn, announced his directive to prepare a law prohibiting denial of what happened on Oct. 7.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted on his X account to confirm that Israel will not stop attacks on Gaza.

He wrote: "Hamas started a war against us because it wants to kill us all and not because of any argument within us. Hamas was wrong - and will therefore be eliminated. Only together will we win."

The Gaza Ministry of Health reported that the death toll jumped to 9,770; 4,800 of them are children.