‘Yalla, yalla!’: Hostage families clash with MKs as Knesset to go on recess in war

Families of the hostages being held by Hamas clashed with MKs in the Knesset House Committee on Tuesday after the committee voted to allow the Knesset to go on recess.

“I’m not disrespecting everything you’re doing, but why is it so urgent for you to go on recess? You are voting over our heads,” said Hen Avigdori, whose family was kidnapped by Hamas and released in November. Avigdori’s niece’s husband is still being held hostage.

עימות בוועדת הכנסת לאחר ההצבעה לאישור הפגרה במלואה חן אביגדורי: "כל אחד מחברי הכנסת שהרים את ידו - אני הולך לבדוק טוב טוב מה הוא עושה"ח"כ פינדרוס: "יאללה יאללה"חן אביגדורי: "יאללה יאללה תגיד לאמא שלך"@Avigdorii@bringhomenow@BringThemHome23 pic.twitter.com/1c5ZzGerO1

— ערוץ כנסת (@KnessetT) March 26, 2024

As the committee voted to go on recess, the families of the hostages shouted, “Simply disconnected from reality! Shame! Shame!”

“The soldiers don’t have a recess. The hostages? They don’t have a recess... And you, the Knesset members, who represent us? And what is most important to you now is your recess, your vacation,” shouted Avigdori.

Avigdori stressed that if the Knesset goes on recess, he will continue to check on the MKs to see what they’re doing during that time. “Everyone who sat here and voted to approve – this isn’t a threat; it’s a promise. Every member of the Knesset who raised their hand – I will check carefully what he’s doing.”

United Torah Judaism MK Yitzhak Pindros jeered at Avigdori, telling him, “Yalla, yalla!” (“Come on, come on”). Relatives of the hostages responded with outrage, with one saying, “Yalla, yalla, you can tell your mother,” and another questioning, “You topple a government because of hametz (foods with leavening agents that are forbidden on Passover); Shabbat is important to you; the country is important to you; the coalition is important to you; but the abductees are not important to you?”

Another relative of the hostages added, “If your daughter was kidnapped, you wouldn’t say ‘yalla, yalla.’”

National Unity Party chairperson MK Pnina Tamano-Shata stressed that “precisely in this period, the honor of the Knesset and trust in the elected officials will also be tested by our ability to come and say, ‘we are in an emergency.’”

Tamano-Shata noted that the vote on the recess was problematic, as it allowed the closure of the Knesset plenum, meaning no legislation would be voted on during the recess. “The families of the hostages should know that this house is open to them,” added the MK.

Labor MK Efrat Rayten expressed outrage at the vote and the behavior of some of the MKs in the committee meeting, posting on X, “[This is] a coalition of people disconnected from reality. The Knesset has already known in the past to cancel recesses during wars, coronavirus, and other political events. 134 hostages is not a good enough reason?”

When will the Knesset go on recess?

The Knesset will go on recess for the Passover holiday from April 8 to May 18. During the recess, committees in the Knesset will be allowed to hold up to four meetings, although the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee will be permitted to hold more meetings if needed.

Knesset committees will also be allowed to discuss primary and secondary legislation under their authority that is determined to be directly related to the war effort.