Netanyahu coalition lawmakers stage walkout over Peres funeral snub

Pro-government Israeli lawmakers staged a mass walkout during plenary speeches by Palestinian Knesset members on Monday, over the latter's snub of former President Shimon Peres' funeral.

It came as Palestinian lawmakers delivered plenary speeches for the Knesset's winter opening session.

The decision was made in response to the predominantly Palestinian Joint List's boycott of former Peres' funeral in September, Israel's ruling coalition's chair David Bitan said.

The tit for tat retaliation was described as "unprecedented" by Arab MK Ahmad Tibi in a tweet.

Joint List MKs responded to the snub by walking out of the plenum when Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu delivered his speech.

Peres, who died in September, aged 93, was regarded by many in the Arab world as a war criminal for his role in Israeli expansions into Palestinian territories and for massacres committed during his leadership.

Among the atrocities perpetrated during Peres' time as prime minister was the Qana Massacre of 1996, when 106 civilians were killed by bombardments of a UN compound southern Lebanon.

Due to such bitter memories of Peres' involvement in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, many expressed outrage when Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas attended his funeral.