Arab MK Admits: I Advised PA to Kidnap Soldier

MK Zevulun Orlev (National Religious Party), who last week submitted a bill to negate Knesset membership to MKs who support terrorists, said that Taha's "traitorous" remarks are further proof that Israeli democracy must protect itself.

According to a report in Maariv newspaper today, Taha told surfers on Thursday that he repeatedly advised the PA Arabs to stop shooting and targeting civilians, and to concentrate on IDF targets. An English translation of Maariv's Hebrew translation of Taha's Arabic words:
"We told them more than once that the Palestinians, who are subjected to murder and ongoing crimes on the part of the Israeli army, have two options: One is to explode and kill civilians - and these are much easier operations. The second option is the military option, in the framework of which a military unit from the resistance [i.e., terrorist infrastructures - ed.] is established in order to break into a military camp, clash with the soldiers and battle them and take them and the conquest into captivity."

MKs Orlev and Effie Eitam said Attorney General Menachem Mazuz should indict Taha for treason. MK Gilad Erdan has called upon Mazuz to indict Taha for incitement to violence, and for Interior Minister Roni Bar-On to consider stripping Taha of his Israeli citizenship. Minister Yaakov Edri (Kadima) said that Taha's words "border on grave incitement."

Prominent attorney Yoram Sheftel said that Taha's statement "is one that no democratic country can tolerate from a parliament member when that country is at war with the enemy with whom he was talking... I believe he violated the law and aided the enemy."