Member of Knesset Basel Ghattas. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – Member of Knesset Basel Ghattas (Balad) caused a ruckus in the Israeli legislature on Wednesday when he rose to speak at the podium wearing a black and white keffiyeh on his neck.

Likud MK Miri Regev claimed it was a provocation and demanded he take the keffiyeh off, according to Israel Hayom. Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein (Likud) asked Regev, “What is unattractive about a keffiyeh? Just like we can speak at the podium with kippot, he can come with a keffiyeh.”

Ghattas said he wore the keffiyeh as a sign of solidarity with Arab students who wore them to school to honor the 21-year-old Arab man who was fatally shot last week after he attacked Israeli police with a knife in Kafr Kanna. The students were told to take off their keffiyehs, and Ghattas decided to wear one in Knesset to show his support for them.