BICOM

A Joint Arab List MK who smuggled items to convicted Palestinian security prisoners has agreed to serve a two-year prison sentence and to resign his Knesset seat in a plea bargain with prosecutors.

The Justice Ministry announced that an agreement had been reached last night with Bassel Ghattas. Under the deal, Ghattas is expected to admit in court early next week to smuggling phones into prison, smuggling documents and breach of trust. He will then resign from the Knesset. The vacant spot will be filled by Juma Azbarga, a resident of the southern Bedouin town of Lakiya.

The revised indictment will not mention anything related to state security or terrorism or aggravated fraud. The court will decide on the length of an additional suspended sentence and a fine. The prosecution is expected to propose a clause including moral turpitude, which would see Ghattas banned from public office for seven years.

Zionist Union MK Yoel Hasson said that the plea bargain had saved the Knesset from “the shameful act of impeachment,” and “it was proved today that there is no room for impeachment in Israeli democracy”.

Yisrael Beitenu MK Robert Ilatov criticised the two-year prison term, saying that the “light punishment harms the deterrence effect and will encourage shameful acts like these in future”.

In December, Ghattas was caught smuggling phones to Palestinian prisoners convicted of killing Israelis, including Walid Daka, serving a life sentence since 1984 for his involvement in the murder of IDF soldier Moshe Tamam.

Likud Minister Ze’ev Elkin launched proceedings against Ghattas involving the use of a July 2016 law, which would allow Knesset members to expel colleagues under certain circumstances. Earlier this week, the Knesset House Committee started the impeachment process against Ghattas, after a petition was signed by 71 MKs. Ghattas’ expected resignation will mean that process will no longer be required.