Yehiel Hazan
Encyclopedia
Political career
Hazan was elected to the Knesset in the 2003 elections as a member of LikudLikud
Likud is the major center-right political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin in an alliance with several right-wing and liberal parties. Likud's victory in the 1977 elections was a major turning point in the country's political history, marking the first time the left had...
. He chaired the committee on drug abuse, and was a member of several other committees.
During the Knesset term it emerged that he had voted twice during the second and third readings of a bill on the emergency economic plan in May 2003. After voting on his own panel, he also voted using the panel of absent Likud MK Inbal Gavrieli
Inbal Gavrieli
Inbal Gavrieli is a former Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Likud from 2003 until 2006.-Biography:Born in Tel Aviv, Gavrieli studied law at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, where she gained a BA...
; both votes were cast against the bill. After being accused, Hazan then attempted to tamper with the evidence by removing the machines in question from the storeroom in which they were kept. However, he was caught in the act by the Knesset
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
's CCTV. Nevertheless, despite the clear evidence, on 22 December 2003 the Knesset narrowly voted (by a majority of one) not to lift his parliamentary immunity.
Hazan was convicted and sentenced to four months of community service and a six-month suspended prison term. He appealed the sentence, but was rejected by the Jerusalem District Court on January 17, 2007. He was not re-elected to the Knesset in the 2006 elections.
Hazan also courted controversy for his comments about Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
s, stating "The Arabs are worms who work underground and indiscriminately murder Muslim soldiers." Despite being asked by the Knesset speaker, he refused to retract his comments.