Hadash Chairman Mohammed Barakeh said Sunday that Balad Chairman Azmi Bishara must return to Israel in order to face the accusations against him, which include aiding the enemy in wartime and passing information on to the enemy.

"Bishara can't talk about it only in television broadcasts," the Arab MK told Haaretz. "We are members of Knesset. When we decided to run for the Knesset and were elected we accepted the rules of the game for better or for worse."

Barakeh said that whoever violates a law, even a law he does not recognize, "must recognize the right of the law to hold him to account."

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Barakeh cited the law that had forbidden Israelis from having contacts with the Palestine Liberation Organization - a law that was repeatedly violated by MKs prior to the Oslo peace process. "We broke the law and we knew we'd pay a price," he said.

"There is currently a wave of incitement against the Arab population," added Barakeh. "Bishara has been judged before being put on trial. Every frustrated politician is jumping all over us. Yisrael Hasson wasn't appointed tourism minister, so he is ... saying there is a second war of independence against Israeli citizens. MK Otniel Schneller has teams looking into the option of a population exchange."

Balad faction chairman Jamal Zahalka said in response that, "Bishara will return but with the current atmosphere and current accusations his fate has been sealed. They have broken all the rules of the game." Zahalka said Bishara's return would only be discussed once the storm has passed.

Zahalka blamed the Shin Bet security service for what he called the incitement against the Arab public. "The Shin Bet has declared us a strategic threat," he said. "In the past they operated secretly. Lately the Shin Bet has become talkative."

Zahalka said that in this case, the Shin Bet is a tool of the prime minister.