Odeh says police stood by and did ‘nothing’ when he was attacked by hooligans

Hadash-Ta’al chairman Ayman Odeh accuses the police of standing by doing “nothing” when he was attacked by right-wing counter-protesters during an anti-war demonstration in Ness Ziona earlier today.

“This morning, we were informed that fascist extremists had threatened to attack us if we showed up, but we decided not to back down. We decided that no one will silence our voices,” he tweets.

“I was attacked by dozens of thugs. They assaulted my staff and me with stones, sticks, and anything they could get their hands on. They surrounded our car, shattered the windows, and shouted ‘Death to Arabs’ the entire time. All the while, Ben Gvir’s police stood by and did nothing. Not a single arrest,” Odeh continues.

Police later said they’d arrested three suspects.

A week ago, brave citizens who organize the weekly demonstration against the war and against the government invited me to speak tonight in the city of Ness Ziona.

This morning, we were informed that fascist extremists had threatened to attack us if we showed up, but we decided… pic.twitter.com/SBrCZk3lbG

— איימן עודה أيمن عودة Ayman Odeh (@AyOdeh) July 19, 2025

“But even in the face of such terrible violence, we will not be silent. On the contrary: it only strengthens our resolve, and our will to fight,” he says. “We do not surrender to fascism. We stand firm against it, Jews and Arabs together, and we will defeat it. The struggle is clear: Democracy or fascism. As we did tonight, I will stand tall in the face of fascists, with my head held high, and I will attend every protest across the country.”