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Last update - 12:19 20/01/2009
Lieberman to Tibi: We must treat some Arab MKs like we treated Hamas
By Tomer Zarchin, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Israel News, Israeli Arab 

Yisrael Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman lashed out at Arab MK Ahmed Tibi during a Supreme Court hearing Tuesday on an appeal against a ban on Arab parties from taking part in next month's general election.

"We need to treat some Arab MKs like we treated Hamas," Lieberman told Tibi (Ra'am-Ta'al). "The option of revoking the citizenship of the branch of terrorist organizations within the Knesset will be kept open."

Tibi retorted by calling Lieberman a fascist. "[Israeli Arabs] are salt of the earth. We did not immigrate here like you," Tibi continued. "In America they are swearing-in a black president, and in Israel a minority is being deprived of its right to political representation," he added.
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The Central Elections Committee last week banned the Arab parties United Arab List - Ta'al and Balad from running in the election amid accusations of racism from Arab MKs, some of whom later appealed the decision in the Supreme Court.

Members of the CEC later conceded that the chance of the Supreme Court's upholding the ban on both parties was slim.

At the beginning of the court's hearing Tuesday, Lieberman also told Tibi: "In the event that the court allows the Arab parties to contend, the Knesset will need to place limits on [their] lack of loyalty."

The rightist MK's comments came two days after Israel and Hamas announced separate cease-fires in Gaza, ending the Israel Defense Forces devastating 22-day campaign against Hamas.

On Monday, Lieberman told Haaretz that Israel achieved
nothing in the offensive, and should have "closed the Strip in a vice" in order to completely crush the Palestinian Islamist group.

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      1.   Lieberman to Tibi 11:05  |  Paul 20/01/09
      2.   The Real Way to get rid of Tibi 11:10  |  David Gleicher 20/01/09
      3.   Lieberman the straight talker 11:13  |  Yoel 20/01/09
      4.   Lieberman should be treated as criminal 11:17  |  Mike 20/01/09
      5.   Lieberman Out 11:27  |  Sam 20/01/09
      6.   Avigdor Lieberman 11:29  |  Palestinian 20/01/09
      7.   I have no love lost for the Arab MK`s, but... 11:34  |  DkS 20/01/09
      8.   Tibi has a choice.. Side with Israel or the terrorists. Tibi 11:47  |  Ben 20/01/09
      9.   Democracy in the ME? 12:13  |  John 20/01/09
      10.   Normal country 12:19  |  Boris 20/01/09
      11.   Lieberman is an Immigrant and Tibi is not 12:29  |  Fred 20/01/09
      12.   Are you helpful, Mr. Lieberman??? 12:36  |  John 20/01/09
      13.   Incitement to murder? 12:45  |  Murray 20/01/09
      14.   I wonder how long it took Native Americans to achive equal rights 13:21  |  Tupac 20/01/09
      15.   lieberman 13:21  |  stef 20/01/09
      16.   For John, # 5 13:37  |  Israeli citizen 20/01/09
      17.   he probably makes more sense in russian 13:39  |  SD 20/01/09
      18.   Flirting with Fascism 13:52  |  Ilya 20/01/09
      19.   Lieberman is thinking about Israel, Tibi is not 13:53  |  Mike 20/01/09
      20.   To #9 Democracy in the ME. 13:58  |  Elvis Megisto 20/01/09
      21.   Leiberman was brave and correct however... 13:59  |  rhetoric 20/01/09
      22.   "close the Strip in a vice" 14:03  |  Bjørn 20/01/09
      23.   Please Save Us from the Israeli Putin 14:11  |  Dave 20/01/09
      24.   It is wrong to ban parties 14:19  |  Andrew 20/01/09
      25.   Mazal Tov,may this politician wake ua all up 14:23  |  Harvey 20/01/09
      26.   The same people that scream for destruction of Israel 16:25  |  Boris 20/01/09
      27.   "Palestinian" 16:40  |  Alain 20/01/09
      28.   Lieberman is Correct 16:47  |  Sam Polan 20/01/09
      29.   @David Gleicher 2 16:47  |  pvdh 20/01/09
      30.   Premise of Democracy: Best idea wins. For that to happen all 17:15  |  An Israeli 20/01/09
      31.   AND I THOUGHT ISRAEL WAS A DEMOCRACY WITH FREEDOM OF SPEECH... 17:18  |  jewish doctor 20/01/09
      32.   Re: I wonder how long it took Native Americans to achive equal r 17:53  |  David 20/01/09
      33.   No Democracy in Europe! 17:57  |  Jordan 20/01/09
      34.   Further alienation means one state 18:16  |  T 20/01/09
      35.   Lieberman`s Israel and Talkback 18:42  |  David 20/01/09
      36.   We must treat some Arab MKs like 18:55  |  Ralph 20/01/09
      37.   Lieberman wants a racist state 19:03  |  F. Natour 20/01/09
      38.   Mr. Tibi- Loyalty to Israel or leave 19:11  |  don the maccabee 20/01/09
      39.   The Israeli Arabs are ?Palestinians?. 19:15  |  Jean Van Daem 20/01/09
      40.   @ John 19:50  |  GHook93 -Zionist Jew 20/01/09
      41.   We must treat Yisrael Beiteinu... 20:02  |  Mizrahi 20/01/09
      42.   Dumb remark 20:24  |  Bill 20/01/09
      43.   This Man Is A Racist Demogogue 20:25  |  Yaakov Sullivan 20/01/09
      44.   Tell Lieberman 20:25  |  Suspicious 20/01/09
      45.   Incitement to Murder 20:35  |  dan 20/01/09
      46.   Lieberman putting Israel on self destruct 20:43  |  American 20/01/09
      47.   Suspicious#30..Obama highly over rated 20:50  |  Nemesis 20/01/09
      48.   Lieberman is right 21:12  |  Brod 20/01/09
      49.   At the risk of labeled... 21:13  |  Nemesis 20/01/09
      50.   Is Israel really Democratic or just morally corrupted? 21:32  |  Arthur 20/01/09
      51.   Fight Against Racism! 21:35  |  Larry 20/01/09
      52.   Must we allow this enemy-of-decent-people... 22:24  |  Esther 20/01/09
      53.   A very simple/primitive aparthaid 22:46  |  Gabriel 20/01/09
      54.   Send this rabble-rouser back where he came from... 22:46  |  Esther 20/01/09
      55.   Sick nation 23:27  |  a 20/01/09
      56.   Yaakov Sullivan 23:30  |  Alain 20/01/09
      57.   Is Leiberman suggesting assassination... 23:45  |  Maureen Ann 20/01/09
      58.   "like we treated Hamas" = killing woman and children of Arab MKs 23:50  |  equation 20/01/09
      59.   To # 57 Maureen Ann...an Arab party in Israel. ?.democracy! 00:41  |  Johann 21/01/09
      60.   If America is better Tibi should go there 00:44  |  judith 21/01/09
      61.   to 57- Maureen Ann 01:05  |  Johann 21/01/09
      62.   to 57..Maureen Ann 01:11  |  Romy 21/01/09
      63.   Military service for all 01:22  |  Great White North 21/01/09
      64.   lieberman 01:42  |  ed 21/01/09
      65.   To jewish doctor (# 31). Security trumps democracy. 02:05  |  flyingdoc57 21/01/09
      66.   people like lieberman 02:07  |  jon 21/01/09
      67.   To # 57- Maureen Ann 02:07  |  Romy 21/01/09
      68.   MAUREEN no actually Tibi & Co are calling for killing of Israelis 02:18  |  PETER SM 21/01/09
      69.   Lieberman is Sick 02:39  |  Balla 21/01/09
      70.   #6 03:19  |  dan 21/01/09
      71.   Hurray for Lieberman! Incitement to do justice to terrorists. 03:43  |  Hal 21/01/09
      72.   A `normal country` is patriotic! 03:44  |  Hal 21/01/09
      73.   Israel must enforce its laws against Hamas collaborators 03:45  |  Joe 21/01/09
      74.   Collaboration with terrorists differs from freedom of speech 03:46  |  Joe 21/01/09
      75.   Meretz is a stagnant hopeless selfdefeating echo. 03:47  |  Ish Zahav 21/01/09
      76.   To # 50 - Arthur 03:59  |  Johann 21/01/09
      77.   #PeterSM. Olmert and the gang of thugs in Israel have... 05:13  |  Maureen Ann 21/01/09
      78.   Get a reality dosage - Lieberman is right 05:22  |  Alfred 21/01/09
      79.   #9 John 05:47  |  Moshe 21/01/09
      80.   One day there could be a REVERSAL Bi National State 18:45  |  Amir 21/01/09
      81.   one country 23:10  |  jay 23/01/09
      82.   To Jay from India, India a democracy but also has Muslim problem 00:59  |  Hal 25/01/09
      83.   Mike, # 19 07:31  |  Loft 10/02/09
      84.   Lieberman to Tibi 15:12  |  Samuel Pienica 10/02/09
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