From the Liveblog of
Saturday, July 19, 2025
Lapid, Golan blast violence against Arab MK Ayman Odeh
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleSam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid and The Democrats chairman Yair Golan condemn the earlier attack on Arab lawmaker Ayman Odeh.
“I condemn the violence against MK Odeh and call on the police to find those responsible and bring them to justice. There is no place for political violence in a democratic state,” tweets Lapid.
Golan asserts that the incident was the “direct result of prolonged political incitement,” citing the recent failed coalition effort to expel Odeh over his comments on the war in Gaza.
“Those who vote in the Knesset in favor of ousting an Arab public official because of his opinions cannot be shocked when rioters attack him in the street,” Golan tweets — calling the incident “an attack against the entire Arab minority in Israel.”
Protesters also surrounded and yelled at Hadash-Ta’al MK Ofir Cassif, who later accused the government of supporting political violence.
“Just so it’s clear: There is legitimacy and even encouragement from the government to violence and murder of its opponents,” he tweeted.
The Times of Israel Community.