MK Abir Kara (Yamina) on Wednesday attacked the Knesset members from the predominantly Arab Joint List party, after they pledged "to fight the Zionist occupation" as they were sworn in to the Knesset.
MKs Ofer Cassif, Ayman Odeh and Sami Abu Shehadeh on Wednesday asked to be sworn in again after it became clear that the wording they added on Tuesday did not comply with the Basic Law of the Knesset, but Knesset Speaker Yariv Levin refused their request.
"On the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day we are dealing with a disgrace - the members of the Joint List today asked to reaffirm their allegiance at the plenum. I suggest that they be sent to be sworn in in North Korea, Gaza, Syria, Iran and other 'democracies' that will teach them what freedom of expression is," Kara said on Wednesday.
"I assume that most of the Arab public in Israel is ashamed of the act, which promotes hatred instead of bringing people together," Kara added.
Meanwhile, MK Itamar Ben Gvir (Religious Zionist Party) appealed to Levin on Wednesday and urged him to ban the members of the Joint List from entering the Knesset plenum, after failing to declare allegiance in accordance with the law.
Ben Gvir wrote in his request that "the statements made by the Knesset members from the Joint List contradict the wording of the statement derived from the Basic Law of the Knesset and according to the Basic Law, a Member of Knesset who does not pledge allegiance using the specific words will not enjoy the rights of Knesset members."