Member of the Knesset Ayman Odeh speaks during the Israeli Parliament's plenary session, ahead of a vote on his possible expulsion from the chamber, in Jerusalem, on July 14, 2025. (Credit: Ronen Zvulun/Reuters.)
The motion introduced in the Israeli parliament seeking to remove the leader of the Communist Party, Ayman Odeh, from his position did not gain a majority on Monday, reports the daily Haaretz.
In total, 73 lawmakers voted in favor of ousting the Arab-Israeli legislator, 15 voted against, and 32 were absent during the vote, the left-leaning Israeli media specified. The necessary majority of 90 votes required by law was therefore not met.
"As expected," the parties representing Arab citizens, as well as "the Zionist left The Democrats," voted against the ouster, Haaretz notes, pointing out that "the same was true for several members of Yesh Atid and Benny Gantz’s Blue and White party [...]. No member of the Blue and White party voted in favor of this decision."
After declaring that he was "pleased" by the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners on his social media in January, Ayman Odeh was accused by several Israeli ministers of "glorifying terrorism" and "being the spokesperson" of the Islamist movement in the Knesset. Proceedings were then launched against him under the "removal law."
According to Haaretz, the result of the vote "matched the opposition's expectations." Before the vote, an ultra-Orthodox official reportedly told the aforementioned source that the members of his party, "United Torah Judaism," "will not support the removal of the leader of the Hadash party."
The "United Torah Judaism" party announced Monday its departure from the Israeli government, leaving Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling coalition with a slim majority of 61 seats out of 120 in parliament.
The lawyer and legal adviser for Ayman Odeh, Hassan Jabareen, cited by Haaretz, reacted to the failure of the motion, declaring that "the Knesset may not have reached the required majority to remove MP Ayman Odeh, but the message is nonetheless chilling."
He added: "The massive support for this initiative, coming from both the coalition and the opposition, reveals the state's intention to break Palestinian political representation."
According to Jabareen, "this was [...] a racist and fascist incitement campaign aimed at punishing Odeh for his principled stance against occupation, oppression, and Israeli violence," fearing a sign of the political landscape for the next elections, and an "attack on the political participation of the Arab public."
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