Arab MK Yousef Jubran of the Arab List on Sunday night the eve of 7 Iyar petitioned the High Court of Justice against the Knesset Ethics Committee decision prohibiting him from giving a series of lectures in the United States funded by ‘Jewish Voices for Peace’.

The petition claims that the committee’s decision to prohibit him from traveling to deliver the addresses constitutes a blow to his basic freedom of speech rights as well as his rights to freedom of movement as a MK. He accuses the committee of interfering with his ability to preform as an elected parliamentarian and restricting his movement represents an ethical offence or even possibly a criminal offense.

He maintains the only problem surrounds the organization funding his tour has a certain political philosophy that does not find favor with the current administration and that he is counted among those who call for a boycott against Israel and the end to the occupation of the 1967 territories.

In his petition to the court, he also maintains that the Ethics Committee has exceeded its authority by prohibiting him from traveling. He accuses the current right-wing coalition of using illegal means to prevent his voice and that of the other Arab MKs from being heard, using “illegal and non-democratic means” to accomplish this.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)