MK Michaeli splashes water at MK in Knesset C’tee

Israel Beiteinu MK to face ethics complaint for pouring drink on MK Majadele after he told her to shut up.

By LAHAV HARKOV
Michalei throws water at Majadele 311 (photo credit: Knesset Channel)
Michalei throws water at Majadele 311
(photo credit: Knesset Channel)
MK Anastasia Michaeli (Israel Beiteinu) is facing an ethics complaint after pouring a cup of water on MK Ghaleb Majadle (Labor) in a Knesset Education Committee meeting on Monday.
Michaeli interrupted Majadle while he was speaking – not an unusual occurrence in the Knesset – and the Labor MK told her to “shut up.”
Michaeli responded that she was surprised by his disrespectful way of speaking, and he repeated that she should shut up.
Majadle then requested from committee chairman Alex Miller (Israel Beiteinu) to either eject or silence Michaeli for being “rude and disorderly,” which Miller would not do.
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“She, and no one else, will silence me – I was elected to represent the public!” Majadle exclaimed. “No one will take away my independence.
Military rule [over Israeli- Arabs] ended in 1966.”
At that point, Michaeli picked up a cup of water from the committee’s table, poured it on Majadle’s head, and walked out of the room.
“She’s crazy. Too bad she’s in your faction; I’m sure you wouldn’t agree to such wild, rude, fascist behavior,” Majadle said, turning to Miller.
Later Monday, Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin announced in a meeting with his deputies – except for Majadle and Ethics Committee chairman Yitzhak Vaknin (Shas) – that he would submit an ethics complaint about Michaeli’s behavior, which he said did not only hurt one MK, but the entire Knesset.
“The elections seem to be getting closer, and I imagine there will be MKs that want to make themselves stand out through tricks and gimmicks,” Rivlin said. “The Knesset and Israeli democracy will pay the price.”
Michaeli told reporters she could not believe not only that a man would insult a lady in the Knesset, but that no male MKs know how to defend a woman.
“If no one comes to my defense, I’ll do it myself,” she said, and stomped away from the group of writers and photographers that gathered around her, visibly upset.
Soon after, Majadle said that the incident was in no way his fault, because Michaeli disturbed him while he had the right to speak to the committee.
“I did not use any derogatory terms against her that would insult her or reduce her status,” he stated. “All I said was ‘please shut up.’” The Labor MK ignored questions about his calling Michaeli crazy and a fascist.
Labor leader Shelly Yacimovich defended Majadle, slamming Michaeli’s “wild and violent” behavior towards a “solid and serious MK.”
Yacimovich added that Michaeli’s actions must have racist motives behind them.
Israel Beiteinu sent a statement following its faction meeting Monday afternoon that no circumstances could justify Michaeli’s behavior, and that the party demands that all of its MKs respect the Knesset.
In addition, the faction condemns “Majadle’s statements, which led to Michaeli’s outburst.”
Speaking at an Independence faction meeting, Defense Minister Ehud Barak joked: “We have decided not to adopt the water distribution methods we saw in the committee today.”