Photo Credit: Hillel Maeir / TPS
MK Basel Ghattas (Balad / Joint Arab List)

Balad Party Knesset Member Basel Ghattas (Joint Arab List faction) has been indicted on charges of fraud, breach of trust, use of property for terrorism, bringing in documents without clearance through prison administration, and abuse of his diplomatic credentials.

The indictment comes in response to the lawmaker’s ties to a terrorist at the Ketziot Prison who is serving a life sentence for the murder of an IDF soldier. It also underlines the lawmaker’s ties with a second terrorist in the prison, this one a member of the ruling Fatah faction in the Palestinian Authority.

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The indictment said the Knesset member conspired with the two terrorist prisoners, and with the brother of one of them, to bring cell phones into the prison and to deliver them to one of the terrorists who then would distribute them to other security prisoners.

The package that he delivered on the day of his visit to the prison contained 12 cell phones, 16 SIM cards, two chargers and an ear piece. He also delivered documents — coded messages — as well on the same day.

Prison guards searched the two inmates after they received the equipment and the papers, and seized both packages of contraband which later was handed over to the Lahav 433 Fraud and Serious Crimes Unit of Israel Police. Investigators confronted Ghattas with the security video footage of the incident, and with the items that were confiscated, after he denied any connection with wrongdoing during initial questioning.

Although the Knesset member has been indicted, and may be returned to house arrest, for the time being Ghattas is still getting paid, and is able to vote on laws being considered in the Knesset plenum.

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Hana Levi Julian is a Middle East news analyst with a degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from Southern Connecticut State University. A past columnist with The Jewish Press and senior editor at Arutz 7, Ms. Julian has written for Babble.com, Chabad.org and other media outlets, in addition to her years working in broadcast journalism.