A former Arab Israeli lawmaker says he is going to prison with “pride” as he begins a two-year sentence for smuggling cellphones to Palestinian prisoners.
Basel Ghattas entered the prison Sunday, saying he went with his “head held high” .
Earlier this year an Israeli court accepted a plea bargain in which Ghattas resigned from parliament and admitted to smuggling phones and SIM cards to Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Israel’s Arab minority holds citizenship but faces discrimination in some areas like housing and jobs. They are sometimes viewed with suspicion, as many identify politically and culturally with Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.
