Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein has decided to place an Israeli flag behind the plenum podium so that the flag will be visible from every angle when one gets up to address the plenum. This has the Arab MKs riled up, including MK Dr. Ahmed Tibi, who is known to be quite vocal when he feels his opinion should be heard.

According to the report in the Yisrael Hayom newspaper, the decision came after Edelstein watched a Knesset Speaker speak in the Knesset plenum and noticed that the Israeli flag was not seen in the frame when the stand was one of the most photographed and broadcast places in the Knesset plenum. Edelstein views his decision as nothing more than correcting what should have been in the first place.

“It is unthinkable that MKs and ministers, who are photographed regularly with the Israeli flag behind them, will be photographed in the Knesset plenum without a flag,” said the Knesset speaker. “I observed a Knesset speaker’s speech on the podium recently, and suddenly I thought how weird it is that although we fight to have and proudly wave the Israel flag everywhere, in the Knesset plenum it does not receive proper expression.”

He added, “I am proud of our flag and I am glad that I had the honor to make a necessary and historic amendment that had to be made with the establishment of the Knesset building some 50 years ago.

Those who, of course, did not like the flag, were the Arab MKs. “For six years, Yuli Edelstein was in a position to strengthen the Knesset and improve its status and its racist and extreme and sometimes hallucinatory image. In the end he ended up with a blue-and-white gimmick,” MK Tibi told Yisrael Hayom.

“Another flag and another flag, but without a moral flag of liberal democracy, equality and justice.” At this rate, in the next term, they will have to remove Herzl’s picture so that in the Knesset they will also dance the flags,” Tibi said.

It is not clear how the Arab MKs will behave henceforth in practice. Will they try to avoid the flags or align themselves with the decision of the chairman, who is not sure that he will continue in his position in the next Knesset?

According to the report, the move has been planned for several months with the cooperation of consultants and architects. This is in addition to other renovations and changes that will be made during the election period in the Knesset plenum, including the Speaker’s seat being wheelchair accessible, in addition to slightly expanding the waiting space at the opening of the Knesset plenum, the area known as the “Horseshoe” so that everything will be ready for the MKJs of the 21st Knesset following elections in April.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)