MK Ben-Ari: Exchange Syrian for Eli Cohen's Remains
June 1, 2010Monday, April 9, 2012
Exchange Syrian for Eli Cohen's Remains
In Honor Of Jerusalem Day MK Get To Dig Into Past
Jerusalem Post May 12, 2010
“This could have been part of a vessel one of my ancestors carried olive oil in to make sacrifices in the Beit Hamikdash,” said MK Michael Ben-Ari (National Union), as he held up a shard of pottery he discovered in a pile of the discarded debris.
Other MKs echoed Ben-Ari’s observations, expressing the importance of the site’s offerings for “all Israelis and all the Jewish people.”
In Honor Of Jerusalem Day MKs Get To Dig Into Past.
(Excerpts)Ahead of Jerusalem Day, members of the Knesset’s Land of Israel Lobby spent Tuesday sifting through more than 2,000 years of history inside a large tent at the Temple Antiquities Salvage Operation.
In 1000, the Wakf Islamic trust, which is in charge of the Muslim shrines on the Temple Mount, requested permission from the government to construct emergency exists for a series of underground mosques that had be opened inside the compound during the late 1990’s. Upon receiving permission, Wakf officials constructed an entrance to the underground el-Marwani mosque in the area known as Solomon’s Stables. During the exists’ construction, the Wakf removed some 10,000 tons, or 400 truckloads of ancient debris, which was then dumped in the nearby Kidron Valley and the Jerusalem municipal - dump some of it lost forever among the trash and other rubble.
On Tuesday afternoon, Knesset members got a first hand look at the site’s operation and were even given a chance to do some sifting of their own, as they paid a visit to the tent where Barkay, Zweig and a slew of volunteers were conducting their work.
Ben-Ari Opens Tel Aviv Office Amid Poverty, Infiltrators
Arutz 7 February 21, 2011
MK Ben-Ari Opens Tel Aviv Office Amid Poverty, Infiltrators
National Union's Dr. Michael Ben-Ari decided to set up shop in the low-income HaTikvah neighborhood, which is flooded with African infiltrators.
Most parliamentarians' offices are located in prestigious towers in central Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. In an unusual step that is also a social-political statement, MK Dr. Michael Ben-Ari (National Union) inaugurated his new Tel Aviv office this week in one of the city's least affluent neighborhoods: HaTikvah.
The neighborhood has, for decades, been one of Tel Aviv's poorer areas, but in recent years life has become especially difficult for its residents, after it was flooded by a wave of infiltrators from Sudan.
MK Ben-Ari, who inaugurated the bureau by affixing a mezuzah to its door, was joined in the ceremony by longtime fellow activists Baruch Marzel and Itamar Ben-Gvir, as well as dozens of other activists and residents of the neighborhood.
"I have returned to the locale of my youth," Ben-Ari - who grew up in nearby Kfar Shalem - told those gathered. "I came to listen to the problems and to bring them to the parliament. I have no magic wand with which to solve all the problems, but I promise you that I am not one of those politicians who drops by somewhere and is then gone with the wind. We will be here every week and listen to the grievances and push things forward."
No Ceremony in Memory of Rabbi Kahane in Knesset as Requested by U.S.
October 2011
Knesset Chariman Rivlin Complied with U.S. Request to Withdraw Permission for Ben-Ari to Hold a Ceremony in Knesset in Memory of Rabbi Meir Kahane.
We "would like to know if the speaker has made a decision and, if so, what it is," Pearlstein wrote to Stern. "This is something Senator Mitchell and his team are following with some concern," Pearlstein wrote.
Israeli media reported that MK Michael Ben Ari (National Union) was planning to hold a plenum session in honor of former MK Kahane, around the Hebrew anniversary of the former Kach leader's assassination.
These reports sparked American concern.
Rivlin refused to authorize Ben Ari's plan when it was initially proposed.
"We are talking about a provocation. The man and his outlawed [extremist] movement cannot be separated. This is an attempt to bring the Kach movement into the Knesset through the back door," said Rivlin.
Ben Ari appealed Rivlin's decision, and gained the support of several Knesset members. In a House Committee meeting Thursday, chairman MK Yariv Levin (Likud) announced he intended to mediate between Rivlin and Ben Ari, to see whether some form of ceremony could be held, despite Rivlin's initial opposition.
Rivlin told Levin he was standing by his refusal, but was willing to accept any House Committee decision.
Rivlin adviser Stern responded in writing to the American Embassy, stating that the Knesset chairman had no intention of allowing any event commemorating Kahane to take place in the Knesset building, but that Rivlin could not prevent parliamentary manipulations by other MKs.
Ben Ari slammed the American inquiry Thursday.
"I was elected by the citizens of the independent state of Israel. Mitchell's gross intervention crosses a red line. Its acceptance amounts to a genuflection by the chairman of the Knesset, which is supposed to be [a] sovereign [entity].
"The weakness broadcast by Rivlin has turned the Knesset into a doormat. It's amazing to see how American government officials are trying to get involved in the daily workings of the Knesset," he said.
Ben Ari had planned to fly to the U.S. on business Thursday, but remained in Israel after the U.S. Embassy refused to issue him
Knesset Chariman Rivlin Complied with U.S. Request to Withdraw Permission for Ben-Ari to Hold a Ceremony in Knesset in Memory of Rabbi Meir Kahane.
The U.S. embassy asked Knesset Chairman Reuven Rivlin whether he intends to permit Knesset members to hold a ceremony in the plenum in memory of Rabbi Meir Kahane.
Michael Pearlstein, the embassy's second secretary in Tel Aviv, wrote to Moshe Stern, a Rivlin adviser, to clarify the matter for U.S. special envoy Sen. George Mitchell and his staff.
We "would like to know if the speaker has made a decision and, if so, what it is," Pearlstein wrote to Stern. "This is something Senator Mitchell and his team are following with some concern," Pearlstein wrote.
Israeli media reported that MK Michael Ben Ari (National Union) was planning to hold a plenum session in honor of former MK Kahane, around the Hebrew anniversary of the former Kach leader's assassination.
These reports sparked American concern.
Rivlin refused to authorize Ben Ari's plan when it was initially proposed.
"We are talking about a provocation. The man and his outlawed [extremist] movement cannot be separated. This is an attempt to bring the Kach movement into the Knesset through the back door," said Rivlin.
Ben Ari appealed Rivlin's decision, and gained the support of several Knesset members. In a House Committee meeting Thursday, chairman MK Yariv Levin (Likud) announced he intended to mediate between Rivlin and Ben Ari, to see whether some form of ceremony could be held, despite Rivlin's initial opposition.
Rivlin told Levin he was standing by his refusal, but was willing to accept any House Committee decision.
Rivlin adviser Stern responded in writing to the American Embassy, stating that the Knesset chairman had no intention of allowing any event commemorating Kahane to take place in the Knesset building, but that Rivlin could not prevent parliamentary manipulations by other MKs.
Ben Ari slammed the American inquiry Thursday.
"I was elected by the citizens of the independent state of Israel. Mitchell's gross intervention crosses a red line. Its acceptance amounts to a genuflection by the chairman of the Knesset, which is supposed to be [a] sovereign [entity].
"The weakness broadcast by Rivlin has turned the Knesset into a doormat. It's amazing to see how American government officials are trying to get involved in the daily workings of the Knesset," he said.
Ben Ari had planned to fly to the U.S. on business Thursday, but remained in Israel after the U.S. Embassy refused to issue him
Arutz 7 June 10, 2010
Stormy Knesset C'tee Session on Arab MK's Immunity
by Hillel Fendel
(Israelnationalnews.com) The Knesset House Committee will vote Monday on stripping Arab MK Hanin Zouabi of various privileges granted her by virtue of her parliamentary immunity – and MK Michael Ben-Ari warns others that their turn is coming.
Stormy Knesset C'tee Session on Arab MK's Immunity
by Hillel Fendel(Israelnationalnews.com) The Knesset House Committee will vote Monday on stripping Arab MK Hanin Zouabi of various privileges granted her by virtue of her parliamentary immunity – and MK Michael Ben-Ari warns others that their turn is coming.
Several Arab Knesset Members – specifically, those who took part in a recent trip to Libya, an enemy country – arrived at work this morning to find an unusual email awaiting them: A letter of warning, in Arabic, from fellow MK Dr. Ben-Ari of the National Union party.
The letter stated as follows:
“In light of my request, the Knesset House Committee will debate [on Monday] the removal of the parliamentary immunity of Knesset Members who collaborate with the enemy. The first session will deal with your comrade Hanin Zouabi, who led the terrorist flotilla to Gaza.
“After we take care of her, it will be your turn! The Israeli nation has become tired of the taking of advantage of the Israeli democracy as a means of liquidating the State. Know: Now it’s Zouabi, and next week, it will be you!”
The letter was sent to MKs Jamal Zekhalke of Zouabi’s Balad party, Muhammed Barakeh and Afu Agbariya of Hadash, and Taleb a-Sana and Dr. Ahmed Tibi of Raam-Taal. They traveled to Libya two months ago, and exchanged warm greetings and praises there with Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi, who addressed them and other Arab visitors for an hour.
MK Zevulun Orlev (Jewish Home) noted at the time that, based on a law he initiated in the previous Knesset, the Arab visitors had disqualified themselves from running for Knesset in the next election. The law states that one who illegally visited an enemy state in the seven years preceding an election will be seen as having supported armed struggle against Israel and thus disqualified from running. Though Orlev said the Defense Ministry and Ministry of Interior had confirmed to him that Libya is on the list of enemy states, the legal counsel to the Knesset committee said Libya is not an enemy state.
Zouabi was nearly physically attacked by other Knesset Members when she ascended the Knesset podium to speak last week, after she returned from the Marmari ship. She has made no secret of her anti-Zionist and anti-IDF sentiments, emphasizing her desire to “serve my own principles and my people oppressed by the State [of Israel], and I have no problem doing so in the framework of the Knesset. My voters did not vote for me so that I would strengthen Zionism…
"There is a people that voted for Hamas, and I fight for their right to choose.” Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh personally called Zouabi last week and encouraged her to “remain strong.”
Asked if he believes that his bid to remove Zouabi’s immunity would pass, MK Ben-Ari said this morning that based on MKs’ remarks of the past few days, he is optimistic.
The session began shortly after 9:30 a.m. and is in progress as this article is being posted. MK Zouabi and the other Arabs MKs were not present for the session, which began with stormy arguments between left-wing and nationalist MKs.
I'll Appeal to High Court Over Zouabi Delay
MK Ben-Ari: I'll Appeal to High Court over Zouabi Delay
Tammuz 2, 5770, 14 June 10 02:15(Israelnationalnews.com)
MK Ben-Ari is upset by the decision of Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin to delay the discussion on removing the immunity of Arab MK Zouabi following House Committee approval.
"If the proposal does proceed I will appeal to the Supreme Court," he said.
Slams Acceptance of Quartet Proposal
Ben-Ari Slams Acceptance of Quartet Proposal
Arutz 7 October 3, 2011
Member of Knesset Michael Ben-Ari (National Union) said, Sunday, that the government's announced acceptance of a proposal by the Quartet of Middle East peace broker nations for returning to talks with the Palestinian Authority (PA) marks the entrance into a dark tunnel whose end is an agreement for what he called the dividing of Jerusalem.
Referring to the United Nations General Assembly speech by United States President Barack Obama, in which Obama said the U.S. would veto any vote in the Security Council for PA statehood, Ben-Ari said that "[Foreign Minister Avigdor] Lieberman and [Prime Minister Binyamin] Netanyahu are making interest payments to Obama for his speech at the U.N. at Israel's expense."
Referring to the United Nations General Assembly speech by United States President Barack Obama, in which Obama said the U.S. would veto any vote in the Security Council for PA statehood, Ben-Ari said that "[Foreign Minister Avigdor] Lieberman and [Prime Minister Binyamin] Netanyahu are making interest payments to Obama for his speech at the U.N. at Israel's expense."
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