Arab members of Knesset, Jamal Zahalka and Wasal Taha, members of the
Balad Faction in Israel, headed to Damascus on Thursday for meetings
with the Syrian leadership. Israel considered the visit as a violation
to its law since the two are visiting a “hostile country”.
The visit comes five years after after a trip by Balad Chairman, Azmi Bishara. He visited Syria several times since then and intends to join the two Arab MK's in Syria on Friday.
Zahalka said upon arriving in Damascus that this visit is considered the implementation of the rights of Arabs living in Israel to remain in contact with all Arab nations.
He blamed Israel for the outcome of its war with Hezbollah, and said that the public in Lebanon and Israel are the victims of the same policies, Israeli online daily, Haaretz, reported.
The visiting MK's called for a resolution that would secure peace in the Middle East and expressed fears of a second round of war in Lebanon.
According to Haaretz, the trip was scheduled several months ago, but its was delayed over “security reasons”.
