Coalition MKs disrupt Knesset event on violence against Palestinians, threaten attendees

By Ariela Karmel

You will receive email alerts from this author. Manage alert preferences on your profile page

You will no longer receive email alerts from this author. Manage alert preferences on your profile page

2 June 2026, 3:27 pm

1 Edit

Ariela Karmel is a political correspondent at The Times of Israel. She previously reported for Calcalist and Haaretz. She holds an MA in Middle Eastern and African History from Tel Aviv University and a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.

Otzma Yehudit's Almog Cohen shouts during an event titled 'Transfer in Practice: Palestinian Communities Under Attack' at the Knesset in Jerusalem, June 2, 2026 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Coalition lawmakers have stormed a Knesset event on settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, threatening participants in what the Arab-majority Hadash-Ta’al party calls “displays of violence, incitement, and political thuggery.”

At various times throughout the event, called “Transfer in Practice: Palestinian Communities Under Attack,” right-wing lawmakers entered the hall, shouting at attendees, including Israeli peace activists, civil society groups, diplomats, and bereaved families. “Transfer” is a term that refers to the idea of forcibly expelling Arabs from Israel or the West Bank.

Footage from the event captures lawmakers shouting at and threatening participants. Otzma Yehudit’s Almog Cohen told attendees, “May two thousand of your mothers weep and not one of ours,” while Religious Zionism’s Zvi Sukkot said, “We will transfer you, but we’ll keep it classy. We’ll put you on organized buses and stick to the law.”

He later added that “we have no problem with Arabs” but only with “terror supporters.”

Ayala Metzger, daughter-in-law of slain hostage Yoram Metzger, was escorted from the hall by Knesset security as Cohen and Likud’s Nissim Vaturi yelled at her, calling her a “terror supporter” and a “terrorist,” according to Hadash-Ta’al.

In another incident, Vaturi filmed himself taking food from the conference and distributing it in the Knesset hallways, telling the cameraman that he was taking food “from the terrorists.”

The event was organized by Hadash-Ta’al MKs Ofer Cassif and Aida Touma-Sliman to highlight what organizers describe as “government policy encouraging settler violence” and the displacement of Palestinian communities in the West Bank.

Attacks by extremist settlers have been taking place against Palestinians in the West Bank on a near-daily basis with almost total impunity, with critics accusing the government of turning a blind eye to the violence. Thousands of Palestinians have been displaced.