Coalition chairman seeks to revoke B'Tselem director's citizenship
MK David Bitan, coalition chairman, accused the B'Tselem director of breach of trust following speech at UN Security Council on settlements; 'I'll tell you bluntly, if I were the Interior Minister I would revoke his citizenship.'
In an interview with Channel 2, MK Bitan accused the B'Tselem executive director of breach of trust and said, "If I could turn to the Interior Minister and ask him to revoke the citizenship of the B'Tselem executive director…I've checked the possibility, and I admit, there is no legal basis that allows that to happen. I checked the possibility and I say we need to revoke his citizenship. There is no Israeli citizen that needs to go before the Security Council and ask for sanctions against the State of Israel and the Israeli public—it is a violation of the State of Israel."
MK Bitan emphasized that there is no current legal precedent to revoke El-Ad's citizenship, but added, "There is a legal way that I'm still looking into. I'll tell you bluntly, if I were the Interior Minister I would revoke his citizenship."
B'Tselem responded, "Palestinians haven't had citizenship or rights for almost 50 years. Now the coalition chairman, the emissary of the Prime Minister, wants to revoke the citizenship of those who speak out against this reality. These threats will not deter B'Tselem and the hundreds of thousands of Israelis who oppose the occupation."
Speaking on the subject of settlements before the UN Security Council last Friday, B'Tselem Executive Director Hagai El-Ad said, “I feel it necessary to ask – how many Palestinian houses need to be demolished before action is taken? The Palestinians have the right to life and self determination. This is the time to take action. The Security Council doesn’t only have the power, but also has the obligation to take action and send a message to the world – Israel cannot occupy a population and call itself a democracy. Israel was established based on international legitimacy. I am a citizen of that nation, it is my home, and I’ve lived my entire life with this reality, and millions of Israelis and Palestinians don’t know a different reality. We need your help – 50 years of occupation is too much. The occupation must end. The UN Security Council must act, and that time is now.”
