Israel's parliament, Knesset, on Tuesday passed a controversial law allowing the expulsion of sitting members for inciting racism or rebellion against Israel.

The bill had faced heavy criticism because of expectations it would be used to target Arab lawmakers, having been proposed after three of them visited families of Palestinians killed during alleged attacks against Israelis.

According to the bill, to expel a lawmaker would require three-quarters of the Knesset members to vote in favor of the move.

The leader of the opposition Zionist Union, Isaac Herzog said: "There will be a big stain on the Knesset if we allow this law to pass."

The vote passed by 62 votes to 45 but many of its proponents had not arrived by the beginning of the vote, forcing the ruling Likud party's Ze'ev Elkin to stall the vote by repeating: "Today, it has become clear that the Labor party and Yesh Atid work for Haneen Zoabi. You should be ashamed of yourselves."

Zoabi was one of the lawmakers who visited the Palestinian families and has often faced calls for her expulsion from the Knesset because of her uncompromising calls for Palestinian resistance against Israel.