The entire far-left bloc of lawmakers from the Yesh Atid, Meretz and Arab Joint List factions got up and left the Knesset on Monday when Religious Zionist Party MK Itamar Ben-Gvir rose to deliver remarks.

“This is the moment I have been waiting for,” Ben-Gvir said in ringing tones. “For the moment that I get up to speak and they” – he gestured towards those leaving – “the supporters of terror including [Arab Joint List MK] Ahmad Tibi, exit.

Ben-Gvir went on to suggest that he would “set up a tent” for himself on the Knesset podium and even sleep in a sleeping bag, “just so the supporters of terror will go home.” He then moved on to the substance of his remarks.

Ben-Gvir is an Israeli attorney and chairman of the Otzma Yehudit Party that merged with the Religious Zionists faction, and a former member of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane’s Kach party, which was outlawed by Israel as a “terrorist organization.”

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Ben-Gvir is known for representing Jews accused by the state of nationalistic offenses. He served as parliamentary assistant to MK Michael Ben-Ari in the 18th Knesset and is the attorney of record for Lehava, an anti-assimilation organization that opposes Jewish intermarriage with gentiles. Read more at JP