Knesset members trade barbs over occupation, ’67 borders

The Knesset erupted in rambunctious debate Wednesday, as a discussion to mark the anniversary of the 1967 Six Day War spiraled into a quarrel of contesting narratives between right- and left-wing lawmakers.

The debate had been pushed off several times during the day, with Knesset speaker Yuli Edelstein postponing the Meretz party and the Joint (Arab) List initiative in favor of other political matters.

Meretz opened the debate during the time allocated the party to propose new legislation for Knesset review.

A shouting match quickly transpired, with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle at loggerheads over the Palestinian issue.

Meretz MK Issawi Frej accusing coalition members of ignoring the Palestinians while focusing instead on economic reform.

“How absurd. The finance minister dreams of affordable housing and lowering costs and [asks] ‘How can I lower the cost of living?” Frej said, referring to Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, who ran on a platform of economic reform, almost devoid of foreign policy issues.

“All the dreams [he’s] talking about — economic and social — won’t come true if we do not address the national problem,” he said.

Freshman Likud MK Oren Hazan accused his Arab Knesset counterparts of ignoring their Arab-Israeli constituents in favor of the Palestinian cause.

“I urge you to join me in [focusing] on Israel’s Arabs. And if you don’t join me, I call upon you to move to Ramallah,” Hazan said.

“Any Arab Knesset members who don’t recognize the State of Israel should have to present an ID card at the entrance to the Israeli Knesset,” he added, using the Arabic term for ID.

Aida Touma-Sliman of the Joint (Arab) List noted the importance of the debate given the growing polarization of Israeli politics and vast differences of opinion between political factions.

“The fact that there is a gap between how I describe reality and how others perceive it, indicates a conflict that mandates discussion in the Knesset,” Touma-Sliman said.

Immigrant Absorption Minister Ze’ev Elkin (Likud) accused his counterparts across the aisle of pandering to a Palestinian narrative that leaves no room for a Jewish state, and dismissed claims that an Israeli withdrawal to the 1967 lines would solve the conflict.

“You’re selling us an illusion that if only we return to ’67 borders, everything will work out. The neighboring Arab countries will embrace us. The Palestinian leadership will seek peace with Israel — but you know it’s a lie,” Elkin said.

“For 20 years [from ’48 – ’67] we weren’t in that area, and all they wanted was to destroy Israel at any cost,” he said.

“Is ’67 is the cause of all our troubles? That’s the problem? [No,] It’s the reason that we’re not in a choke-hold, that since that war we’re not reliving the atmosphere of [pre-’67 borders] — that every minute this state could be wiped out,” he said.