Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein has signed off on a secret investigation against Arab MKs over their alleged incitement against pro-IDF Christian leader Father Gabriel Nadaf, the Knesset's Internal Affairs and Environment Committee said in a statement on Wednesday. Although there were conflicting reports as to the whether such an investigation was actually underway, the subject produced a heated debate in the committee hearing, held earlier in the day. Likud MKs attacked Arab lawmakers for allegedly sending threatening letters to Nadaf to protest his recent statements, in which he urged Arab Christians to join the Israel Defense Forces. According to the Likud MKs, some in the National Democratic Assembly (a predominantly Arab party), including MK Hanin Zoabi, were outraged over Nadaf's comments and tried to pressure him and the Christian Officer Forum to retract the statements. This pressure was allegedly accompanied by threats. Chief Superintendent Revital Karako, who represented the Israel Police in the hearing, told the committee that Weinstein had summoned the Arab MKs for questioning. During the hearing, committee Chairwoman Miri Regev (Likud) said, "We must not let Arab MKs become Trojan horses inside the Knesset or allow them to send threatening letters against a Christian cleric who has been encouraging Christian youths to join the IDF. " Regev added that the Israel Police had assigned Nadaf and his family a protective detail as a result of the threats. Shadi Halul, the Christian Officer Forum's spokesperson, testified that the alleged threats were tantamount to "domestic terrorism inside Israel." The Justice Ministry was quick to deny Karako's testimony. "No investigation has been launched; Six months ago, the police was asked to investigate cases of incitement against a Christian-Orthodox clergyman from Yafi, but this did not involve the MKs who were mentioned [by Karako] and they are not considered suspects," the ministry said in a statement. Last week Nadaf told Israel Hayom that the members of Arab Christian community consider themselves loyal Israeli citizens who, as part of their desire for equal rights, want to partake in the defense of the country and have the same duties as everyone else.
