Who are Israeli lawmakers who heckled Trump’s Knesset speech, shouted ‘Genocide’ and ‘Recognise Palestine’

Dubai: Two left-wing Israeli lawmakers were expelled from the Knesset on Monday after they disrupted US President Donald Trump’s address to Israel’s parliament by shouting “genocide” and waving signs that read “Recognise Palestine!”

The interruption occurred midway through Trump’s speech, which otherwise drew multiple standing ovations from Israeli lawmakers and ministers. The US President had been praising his envoy Steve Witkoff when the commotion broke out.

As Hadash Party head Ayman Odeh and fellow member Ofer Cassif were escorted out by security, Trump briefly paused, smiled, and quipped: “That was very efficient.”

The two lawmakers — known for their outspoken criticism of Israel’s Gaza campaign — later said they had been removed simply for voicing a “basic demand shared by the international community.”

“They removed me from the plenum just because I raised the simplest demand — to recognise a Palestinian state,” Odeh wrote on X. “There are two peoples here, and neither is going anywhere.”

Cassif, waving his handwritten “Recognise Palestine” banner during the speech, said their protest was a call for justice, not disruption. “True peace that will save both peoples of this land will only come with the end of occupation and apartheid,” he posted in Hebrew, urging Israelis to “resist the government of bloodshed.”

‘Hypocrisy in the Knesset’

Moments before the session, Odeh had lashed out at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling the Israeli parliament “a bubble of hypocrisy.”

“Elevating Netanyahu through unprecedented flattery does not absolve him or his government of crimes against humanity committed in Gaza,” Odeh said in a fiery statement, adding that only recognising Palestine alongside Israel could bring “justice, peace and security for all.”

Trump’s speech, his first before the Knesset since his re-election, was part of a renewed diplomatic push to consolidate his Middle East peace plan, following last month’s ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. While most lawmakers hailed his leadership, the brief protest highlighted the growing tension between Israel’s ruling coalition and its small but vocal left-wing opposition.

Who is Ayman Odeh?

Born on January 1, 1975, Ayman Aadil Odeh is an Arab Israeli lawyer, atheist, and leader of the Hadash alliance, a left-wing coalition of Arab and Jewish parties. A member of the Knesset since 2015, Odeh has long championed Arab rights, equality, and Palestinian statehood.

In November 2024, Odeh was ejected from parliament after calling Netanyahu a “serial killer of peace.” He is also known for advocating greater recognition of Mizrahi culture and Arab Jewish history in both Israeli and Palestinian narratives.

Who is Ofer Cassif?

Born on December 25, 1964, Ofer Cassif is a Jewish, far-left Israeli lawmaker and outspoken anti-Zionist. A Knesset member since 2019, Cassif previously served in the Israel Defense Forces’ Nahal Brigade. He has publicly described Zionism as “a racist ideology and practice which espouses Jewish supremacy.”

Cassif has repeatedly clashed with the Israeli government over its treatment of Palestinians and was previously suspended from parliament for comparing the Netanyahu administration to fascist regimes.

The pair’s protest on Monday was swiftly contained, but it underscored Israel’s deep internal divisions over the Gaza war and Trump’s peace plan. As Trump concluded his speech, thanking Israel for its “unwavering friendship,” the tension lingered — a reminder that even in Jerusalem’s most guarded chamber, dissent still finds its voice.