WASHINGTON, July 13 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) today issued a statement of solidarity with MK Ayman Odeh, the chairman of the Arab-majority Hadash-Ta’al party, after lawmakers in the Israeli Knesset House Committee voted to impeach him.

We strongly condemn the effort to expel MK Ayman Odeh from the Israeli Knesset.

All over the world, democracy is under assault. If Israel is going to call itself a democracy, it must tolerate peaceful dissent.

For over a decade, MK Odeh has been a leading advocate for peace, justice, and Jewish-Arab partnership. The current expulsion effort is a direct response to MK Odeh’s outspoken and brave calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, an end to the occupation, and a political solution between Israelis and Palestinians.

This effort is not merely a personal attack on one parliamentarian – it is a grave assault on democracy, pluralism, and freedom of expression. In any free society, elected representatives must be able to speak their conscience without fear of expulsion or punishment. Suppressing dissent does not strengthen a democracy; it weakens its legitimacy.

And this expulsion effort sends a chilling message to millions of Palestinian citizens of Israel: that their representation is conditional and their rights revocable. Such a message has no place in any democratic society.

We strongly condemn this anti-democratic maneuver and urge all members of the Knesset to reject the petition for MK Odeh’s expulsion.

At a time when many remain silent or resort to inciting rhetoric, MK Odeh has continued to call for an end to the violence, the protection of innocent lives, and a just and lasting peace for both peoples. He deserves the support of all those committed to democracy and freedom of expression.

We stand in solidarity with MK Odeh and with the right of all lawmakers, Arab and Jewish, to speak freely and without fear of political retribution.