Intelligence minister: Arab MKs, Hamas have common goals

Intelligence Minister Israel Katz says Arab Knesset members who staged a protest at the plenum during US Vice President Mike Pence’s speech Monday have common goals with the Hamas terror group.

Lawmakers from the Joint (Arab) List held up up signs reading “Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine” during the speech. Hamas praised their actions.

Transportation and Intelligence Minister Israel Katz speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, in his office in Tel Aviv, November 9, 2017. (AP/Dan Balilty)

“Hamas, this extremist organization which rejects the existence of Israel, is praising those sitting in the Israeli Knesset,” Katz tells the Ynet news site.

“Perhaps the takeaway is that they should move to Gaza and represent the Hamas Palestinian parliament in the name of the goals in which the believe,” he says. “It is unthinkable that MKs in the State of Israel should…work towards goals praised by Hamas.”