The militancy of Israel's grey panthers

From Ha'aretz - One of Israel's Pensioners Party has called for the "obliteration" of Gaza in a Knesset (Israeli parliament) debate.

Shouting matches broke out in the Knesset yesterday afternoon during a charged debate on three no-confidence motions filed by Arab parties over Israel's military response to the kidnapping of soldier Gilad Shalit.

The no-confidence motions were defeated by a large majority after all opposition parties - with the exception of the Arab parties - supported the coalition.

Hadash's no-confidence motion said the Israel Defense Forces operations in Gaza and the arrests of Palestinian parliamentarians were planned in advance and added that Shalit's kidnapping could not be seen as a catalyst for these wide-scale Israeli actions.

During the debate, MK Moshe Sharoni(Pensioners) directed heated barbs at his Arab colleagues.

"You are cooperating with terror. You are supporting the terrorists. Your place is not here. Go there. Where were you when they murdered an 18-year-old boy in Ramallah? Did you say anything then? You kept quiet. Where are you when they fire Qassams day after day at Sderot? We need to obliterate Gaza and call it the City of Murderers, the City of Terrorists."

Yisrael Beiteinu MK Alex Miller also hinted that Arab Knesset members should move to Gaza.

"I think that MKs disturbed by the fact that we arrested parliament members from Palestine can go there and take their places. They will certainly be welcomed warmly," Miller said.

United Arab List MK Ahmad Tibi said: "You cannot bombard refugee camps with tanks and mortars and then say, 'We hurt children and civilians by accident'."

Oh yes they can and oh yes they do.