JERUSALEM
An Israeli Knesset member was suspended on Tuesday against the background of statements she made about the kidnappers of three Israeli settlers who went missing on a southern occupied West Bank settlement in June.
The Knesset's Ethics Committee decided to suspend Hanin Zoabi for six months for telling Israel Radio a few weeks ago that the kidnappers of the settlers were not "terrorists".
"They are not terrorists," Zoabi told the radio. "They are people who see no other way to change their reality,” she added.
She added that the kidnappers were forced to use kidnapping until Israel "wises up”.
The three settlers went missing on June 12 from a Jewish-only occupied West Bank settlement, prompting a major Israeli crackdown on the members of the Gaza-based Palestinian resistance movement Hamas in the West Bank.
Detained along with the Hamas members were also scores of Palestinian lawmakers and former ministers.
Soon after the kidnapping of the teens, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of standing behind this kidnapping, even as Hamas repeatedly denied such an accusation.
The bodies of the three teens were found later in the month, opening the door for a military operation against the Gaza Strip on July 7.
The operation has so far left 1158 Palestinians dead, around 7000 injured and hundreds of Gaza homes totally destroyed.
Around 58 Israeli troops have also been killed in Gaza combat, while three Israeli civilians were killed by rockets fired by Gaza resistance movements on Israel.
By Anees Barghouthy
www.aa.com.tr/en
