Joint List slams ‘persecution’ of Odeh after he’s reportedly IDed as election interference suspect

The Joint List condemns what it calls a “campaign of political persecution” against former party leader Ayman Odeh, after Hebrew media identified him as the senior Arab lawmaker suspected of receiving hundreds of thousands of shekels in cash from a foreign source.

The party calls the allegations “a serious escalation in the campaign of incitement against the Arab public and its leadership,” and once again accuses Shin Bet chief David Zini, appointed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, of acting as “a political arm at his service.”

“The Arab public has spoken at the ballot box,” the Joint List says, in reference to record turnout among Arab voters in last week’s election, yielding Arab-led parties a historic high of 19 Knesset seats. “No threats, investigations or intimidation campaigns will silence us or delegitimize our political representation.”

Odeh, who is set to leave the Knesset when new lawmakers are sworn in next week, has not directly addressed the reported allegations. Responding to media reports identifying him, he said in a statement, “As we get closer to the Knesset’s swearing-in and the end of Netanyahu’s rule, you will see more and more spin and lies.”