In a move likely to further harm relations between the Israeli authorities and the country's million-strong Arab minority, the Israeli police yesterday recommended that a top Arab Knesset member be prosecuted for treason.
The politician, Mr Abdel-Malik Dehamsheh, has been leading a campaign of protest in recent weeks against the demolition of unlicensed Arab buildings in Israel and has repeated on several occasions that if police officers try to demolish such homes, "their hands and legs should be broken."
Mr Dehamsheh defended such comments yesterday as "an expression of free speech", insisted that they did not amount to incitement to violent action, and complained of a systematic policy of "racial discrimination" against Arabs by the Israeli authorities throughout the 52 years of the state's existence.
The police call for Mr Dehamsheh's indictment stands in curious contrast to a disinclination to prosecute other public figures, Jewish Israelis, including politicians and rabbis, for vicious remarks against the government, the army and other state institutions.
A leading rabbi-politician, Ovadiah Yosef, to take just one prominent example, has several times made public comments that were interpreted by many observers as incitement to violence against rival politicians.
The police recommendation has to be considered by the Israeli prosecuting authorities. The Police Minister, Mr Shlomo Ben-Ami, indicated displeasure with the recommendation yesterday.
Mr Dehamsheh is emerging as no less a ferocious critic of the current Israeli government than its most vehement opponents on the political right.
While the Prime Minister, Mr Ehud Barak, was last night meeting the opposition leader, Mr Ariel Sharon, amid new talk of a "unity government" despite a move last week towards elections, Mr Dehamsheh said: "This government has to fall."
The prosecution of Mr Dehamsheh, a charismatic lawyer with genuine grassroots support in the Arab community, would only further reduce Mr Barak's already slim chance of winning much Arab support when election day does come around; support that is absolutely critical for any centre-left prime ministerial candidate.