The Joint Arab List announced that the party would boycott U.S. Vice President Mike Pence's speech to the Knesset on Monday, according to chairman Ayman Odeh.
On Twitter Saturday, Odeh called Pence, an Evangelical Christian, "dangerous." He said the vice president had a "messianic vision" that threatened the region.
U.S. President Donald Trump's administration infuriated Palestinians and Arab Israelis by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital last month. Palestinians, who envision east Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state, see the American declaration as one-sided.
Pence is seen as a driving force behind U.S. President Donald Trump's Dec. 6 announcement, that included a pledge to relocate the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Odeh later stressed that it was important for the world to see that some of Israel's citizens opposed Pence's visit, which he said was detrimental to peace efforts. He said that he and his fellow party members were planning to walk out of the Knesset in protest when Pence begins to deliver his speech.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking to his cabinet on Sunday, called the planned boycott a "disgrace" and said the vice president would be warmly welcomed.
