Habayit Hayehudi MK Moti Yogev was poised Wednesday to introduce a bill under which lawmakers charged with compromising state security would not be eligible for a state pension and other benefits. The bill was drafted following former Joint Arab List MK Basel Ghattas' resignation as part of a plea bargain with the State Attorney's Office. Ghattas was recently indicted for allegedly smuggling mobile phones to Palestinian security prisoners. The bill is expected to gain widespread support in the Knesset, as 71 lawmakers have already signed a motion to have Ghattas impeached. Meanwhile, the right-wing party Otzma Yehudit petitioned the High Court of Justice on Tuesday in an attempt to thwart the plea bargain with Ghattas. The petitioners further said the deal was too lenient, claiming severe offenses were scrapped from the original indictment despite there being a mountain of evidence, including photographic evidence. They also claimed that the revised indictment under the plea bargain goes against the public's interest, particularly in light of an interview in which Ghattas refused to express remorse and even took pride in his actions. Itamar Ben-Gvir, one of the petitioners, said Tuesday that the deal "undercuts the rule of law and its flawed to a fault." The High Court instructed the state to respond to the petition by 11 a.m. Wednesday, before the deal was to be officially presented to the Beersheba Magistrates' Court. Under the plea bargain, Ghattas would admit to the facts in the indictment and plead guilty to charges of smuggling cellphones into prison, violating Israel Prison Service directives, providing the means to carry out acts of terror, fraud and breach of trust by a public official. On Tuesday, Juma Azbarga was sworn in as a Knesset member, replacing Ghattas. Azbarga is a member of Balad, one of the four factions, alongside Ra'am, Ta'al and Hadash, that comprise the Joint Arab List.
MKs who breach state security may be stripped of benefits
Knesset to debate bill denying pension benefits from former elected officials who are charged with national security offenses • MK Moti Yogev drafts bill after Joint Arab List MK Basel Ghattas resigns as part of plea bargain in a criminal case.
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