The Knesset's Ethics Committee on Tuesday suspended Knesset Member Ahmad Tibi from the plenum and from participating in committee meetings for a period of one week over a limerick he read out during a plenum sitting called "Anasstasia's plumbing was damaged."
Tibi wrote the limerick following the incident in which MK Anasstasia Michaeli threw a glass of water in MK Raleb Majadele's face. The suspension will come into force on Sunday.
"The Ethics Committee wishes to express its disgust over MK Tibi's statements in the Knesset which included dirty language and hurtful words with humiliating and chauvinist sexual connotations," the committee statement read.
The committee took a harsh view of the fact that the statements were no slip of the tongue or emotional turmoil, rather they were part of a speech prepared for the Knesset plenum."
Yet it appears that Tibi himself has yet to learn a lesson from the committee ruling. Reacting to the suspension he said: "I'm astounded but not surprised. It would seem that the committee was alarmed by its own punishment for Anasstasia, who threw a glass of water and so (the committee) raced to level the field with this absurd suspension of an Arab MK."
According to Tibi, "The Ethics Committee has no Arab members and some of the members treat me like an enemy, which is why its decisions are infected with prejudice. Is it possible the committee's plumbing is screwed up?" Tibi wondered.
The incident during which MK Michaeli threw a glass of water in MK Majadele's face occurred last week during a Knesset Education Committee meeting when a confrontation broke out between Arab MKs and Michaeli after the latter spoke against the principal who decided to take his students to a human rights march in the Arab town of Arara in the Galilee.
The Arab MKs called Michaeli a "fascist" and "impudent". Majadele asked that Committee Chairman MK Alex Miller (Yisrael Beiteinu) silence Michaeli. In response Michaeli poured a glass of water on Majadele, who then said: "What are you doing? You're crazy."
Tibi's response soon followed. He took to the Knesset plenum to sing his ditty in which he stated that "Anasstasia's plumbing was damaged" and that "she grew up on the dung heaps of Yisrael Beiteinu."
Meanwhile, also on Tuesday Michaeli published a statement in response to Tibi's suspension and said: "The Ethics Committee has explained the severity of MK Tibi's words in a manner that supersedes all other claims. We are all hope that Israel's youth will not learn Tibi's foul language.
"We are sure that Tibi feels he got lucky (with the punishment) as both the public and my colleagues saw his insulting remarks with sexual and chauvinistic connotations as extremely serious."
Michaeli welcomed the committee's decision to suspend Tibi "for cheapening the Knesset and dishonoring the Knesset and its members… as the speech was made with malicious intent."
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