DEBKAfile Exclusive: Israeli Arab lawmaker Azmi Beshara flees the country
April 8, 2007,
According to DEBKAfile’s intelligence sources, the controversial head of MK Balad, the radical Arab National Party and a Protestant Christian, secretly left Israel some weeks ago. Members of his family have just joined him at his undisclosed destination. The family clearly had no intention of returning to their home in the Galilee village of Shfaram.
The absconding lawmaker’s flight followed the Shin Beit’s discovery of a serious breach of security he committed. A gag order covers the publication of any more information. Beshara is the first Arab parliamentarian to flee the country ever. His letter of resignation from the Knesset will be submitted to Speaker Dalia Itzik Tuesday, April 10. The letter is already in the hands of his fellow Balad lawmaker Dr. Jemal Zahalka.
Friday, April 6, Israeli Arab organizations headed by Adala set up a united front against what they called “ Shin Beit incitation against Israel Arabs.†They plan an appeal to the United Nations, foreign governments and diplomats for assistance in combating “Israeli government actions against the Arab minority and Shin Beit operations against the Arab public.â€
DEBKAfile’s sources report that several Arab organizations are preparing the most radical showdown ever between their community and the state of Israel. Its security and judicial institutions will be called on to stand up to a wholesale assault on the very nature of the Jewish state and its right to live in security. Israeli Arab leaders are preparing to harness world opinion to their challenge of the legality of state rule over the Arab national minority and gather support for restrictions over the jurisdiction of Israel national security services, including the police. in Israeli Arab locations.
DEBKAfile’s sources add that the apparent weakness Israel displayed in the Lebanon war of last summer encouraged Azmi Beshara to believe he could get away with heinous infringements against state security, and emboldened major Israeli Arab organizations to launch a strong bid for a revision of the Jewish state’s structure and character, so as to satisfy their national aspirations as a part of the pan-Arab community.
