Haneen Zoabi ( ar, حنين زعبي, he, חנין זועבי; born 23 May 1969), is a
Palestinian-Israeli
The Arab citizens of Israel are the Demographics of Israel#Arabs, largest ethnic minority in the country. They comprise a hybrid community of Israeli citizenship law, Israeli citizens with a heritage of Palestinian Citizenship Order 1925, Pales ...
politician. The first Arab woman to be elected to the legislature on an Arab party's list,
she served as a member of the
Knesset
The Knesset ( he, הַכְּנֶסֶת ; "gathering" or "assembly") is the unicameral legislature of Israel. As the supreme state body, the Knesset is sovereign and thus has complete control of the entirety of the Israeli government (with ...
for the
Balad party between 2009 and 2019. In 2021, she was convicted of forgery and fraud after pleading guilty.
Biography
Haneen Zoabi was born in
Nazareth
Nazareth ( ; ar, النَّاصِرَة, ''an-Nāṣira''; he, נָצְרַת, ''Nāṣəraṯ''; arc, ܢܨܪܬ, ''Naṣrath'') is the largest city in the Northern District of Israel. Nazareth is known as "the Arab capital of Israel". In ...
to a
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
family.
Zoabi studied philosophy and psychology at the
University of Haifa
The University of Haifa ( he, אוניברסיטת חיפה Arabic: جامعة حيفا) is a university located on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel. Founded in 1963, the University of Haifa received full academic accreditation in 1972, becoming Is ...
, earning a Bachelor of Arts, and received a Master of Arts in communications from the
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; he, הַאוּנִיבֶרְסִיטָה הַעִבְרִית בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם) is a public research university based in Jerusalem, Israel. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Dr. Chaim Weiz ...
.
She was the first Arab citizen of Israel to graduate in media studies, and established the first media classes in Arab schools.
She also worked as a mathematics teacher and worked as a school inspector for the
Israeli Ministry of Education
The Ministry of Education ( he, מִשְׂרָד הַחִנּוּךְ, translit. ''Misrad HaHinukh''; ar, وزارة التربية والتعليم) is the branch of the Israeli government charged with overseeing public education institutions ...
.
She is a relative of
Seif el-Din el-Zoubi
Seif el-Din el-Zoubi ar, سيف الدين الزعبي, he, סַיִף אֵל־דִּין אֶל־זעֻבִּי; in Hebrew his name was most often written without niqqud (as is standard) as . (1913 – 26 June 1986) was an Israeli-Arab po ...
, a former mayor of Nazareth and member of the Knesset between 1949 and 1959, and again from 1965 until 1979, and
Abd el-Aziz el-Zoubi
Abd el-Aziz el-Zoubi (, he, עבד אל-עזיז א-זועבי; 4 February 1926 – 14 February 1974) was an Israeli Arab politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Mapam and the Alignment from 1965 until his death in 1974. When appoint ...
, a Deputy Health Minister and the first Arab member of an Israeli government.
Political career
Zoabi joined Balad in 2001.
In 2003, she co-founded the
NGO
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
''I'lam – Media Center for Arab
Palestinians
Palestinians ( ar, الفلسطينيون, ; he, פָלַסְטִינִים, ) or Palestinian people ( ar, الشعب الفلسطيني, label=none, ), also referred to as Palestinian Arabs ( ar, الفلسطينيين العرب, label=non ...
in Israel'' (pronounced e'e'lam). Zoabi was its general director until she resigned shortly before the 2009 election to focus on her political career.
She ran for Knesset as a Balad candidate in
2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, but was too low on the party's
electoral list
An electoral list is a grouping of candidates for election, usually found in proportional or mixed electoral systems, but also in some plurality electoral systems. An electoral list can be registered by a political party (a party list) or can ...
to win a seat.
However, prior to the
2009 elections
The following elections occurred in the year 2009.
* Electoral calendar 2009
* 2009 United Nations Security Council election
Caribbean
* 2009 Antiguan general election
* 2009 Aruban general election
* 2009 Caymanian constitutional referendu ...
she was placed third on the Balad list, and entered the Knesset after the party won three seats, becoming the first
female Arab MK to represent an Arab party (the two previous female Arab MKs
Hussniya Jabara
Hussniya Jabara ( ar, حسنية جبّارة, he, חוסניה ג'בארה; born 11 April 1958) is an Israeli former politician, who served as a member of the Knesset for Meretz between 1999 and 2003. She was the first female Israeli Arab to b ...
and
Nadia Hilou
Nadia Hilou ( ar, ناديا حلو, he, נאדיה חילו; 5 July 1953 – 27 February 2015) was an Arab-Israeli social worker and politician, who served as a member of the Knesset for the Labor Party between 2006 and 2009. She was the s ...
had represented
Meretz
Meretz ( he, מֶרֶצ, ) is a left-wing political party in Israel. The party was formed in 1992 by the merger of Ratz, Mapam and Shinui, and was at its peak between 1992 and 1996 when it had 12 seats. It currently has no seats in the Knesset ...
and
Labor
Labour or labor may refer to:
* Childbirth, the delivery of a baby
* Labour (human activity), or work
** Manual labour, physical work
** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer
** Organized labour and the labour ...
).
During the build-up to the
January 2013 elections, it was announced in December 2012 that the
Central Elections Committee
The Israeli Central Elections Committee ( he, ועדת הבחירות המרכזית, ''Va'adet HaBehirot HaMerkazit'') is the body charged under the Knesset Elections Law of 1969 to carry out the elections for the upcoming Knesset. The committe ...
(CEC) and a panel of Supreme Court judges would hold discussions on whether to disqualify Zoabi, as well as the Balad and
United Arab List
The United Arab List ( he, הַרְשִׁימָה הַעֲרָבִית הַמְאוּחֶדֶת, ''HaReshima HaAravit HaMe'uhedet''; ar, القائمة العربية الموحدة, ''al-Qā'ima al-'Arabiyya al-Muwaḥḥada''), commonly kn ...
parties, from the upcoming elections. The request for her disqualificationwas submitted by MK
Ofir Akunis
Ofir Akunis ( he, אוֹפִיר אָקוּנִיס, born 28 May 1973) is an Israeli politician. He currently serves as a member of the Knesset for Likud and is the Minister of Science and Technology. He has previously held the posts of Mini ...
(
Likud
Likud ( he, הַלִּיכּוּד, HaLikud, The Consolidation), officially known as Likud – National Liberal Movement, is a major centre-right to right-wing political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin and Ariel Sharon ...
) and had obtained the necessary number of signatures. It stated that "throughout her years in the Knesset, Zoabi has constantly undermined the State of Israel and has openly incited against the government, its institutions and
IDF
IDF or idf may refer to:
Defence forces
* Irish Defence Forces
* Israel Defense Forces
*Iceland Defense Force, of the US Armed Forces, 1951-2006
* Indian Defence Force, a part-time force, 1917
Organizations
* Israeli Diving Federation
* Interac ...
soldiers." The request also claimed that Zoabi negated Israel's existence as a Jewish and democratic state, which made her eligible for disqualification. Zoabi called the sponsors of the request fascists and said that "for whoever does not want citizens to have free elections, I am one of many targets ..." She added that only "dark regimes" are proud of disqualifying election candidates. After hearing the case, the Central Elections Committee disqualified Zoabi in a 19–9 vote. The
Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
overturned the disqualification, with the nine-judge panel headed by Supreme Court President
Asher Grunis
Asher Dan Grunis ( he, אשר דן גרוניס; born January 17, 1945) was the President of the Supreme Court of Israel between 2012 and 2015. He was appointed to the position on February 28, 2012, after the retirement of Dorit Beinisch. He re ...
unanimously voting to overturn the ban. Zoabi was subsequently re-elected. Following the elections, Likud MK
Danny Danon
Danny Danon (Hebrew: דני דנון, born 8 May 1971) served as Israel’s 17th Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and currently serves as Chairman of the World Likud. Danon previously served as a member of the Knesset from the Liku ...
initiated a bill dubbed the "Zoabi Law" in February 2019. An amendment to the Basic Law dealing with legislation, it would make it harder for the Supreme Court to overturn a decision by the Central Elections Committee. The bill failed to pass.
Zoabi faced a similar situation prior to the
March 2015 elections. On 12 February 2015, the CEC voted 27–6 to disqualify Zoabi from running in the elections. However, on 18 February the Supreme Court overturned the ruling in an 8–1 decision. She retired from national politics prior to the
April 2019 elections, although she was given a symbolic 113th slot on the joint list of Balad and the
United Arab List
The United Arab List ( he, הַרְשִׁימָה הַעֲרָבִית הַמְאוּחֶדֶת, ''HaReshima HaAravit HaMe'uhedet''; ar, القائمة العربية الموحدة, ''al-Qā'ima al-'Arabiyya al-Muwaḥḥada''), commonly kn ...
.
Political views and opinions
Zoabi views herself as a
Palestinian
Palestinians ( ar, الفلسطينيون, ; he, פָלַסְטִינִים, ) or Palestinian people ( ar, الشعب الفلسطيني, label=none, ), also referred to as Palestinian Arabs ( ar, الفلسطينيين العرب, label=non ...
. She considers the
two-state solution
The two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict envisions an independent State of Palestine alongside the State of Israel, west of the Jordan River. The boundary between the two states is still subject to dispute and negotiation ...
unrealistic and describes as inherently racist the notion that Israel is a
Jewish state
In world politics, Jewish state is a characterization of Israel as the nation-state and sovereign homeland of the Jewish people.
Modern Israel came into existence on 14 May 1948 as a polity to serve as the homeland for the Jewish people. It ...
. Instead she advocates a single state shared by Jews and Palestinian Arabs with full rights and equality for both national groups.
She has said, "The reality of Israel's actions shows us that it's unrealistic to have a real sovereign state in the West Bank and Gaza with Jerusalem as the capital. The more realistic solution is one state with full national equality for both national groups."
Zoabi argues that rejection of the Jewish state concept is the only way to combat
Avigdor Lieberman
Avigdor Lieberman (, ; russian: Эве́т Льво́вич Ли́берман, Evet Lvovich Liberman, ; born 5 June 1958) is a Soviet-born Israeli politician serving as Minister of Finance since 2021, having previously served twice as Deputy ...
's demand that Israeli citizens take loyalty oaths. Rejecting the 'Jewish state' concept, she says, "is the only idea that can remove Lieberman from the circle of political and moral legitimacy... When you agree with the 'Jewish state' idea, you necessarily agree with the idea of loyalty to this state. Rejecting the 'Jewish state' concept will block the road for anyone who demands our loyalty to such a state."
In 2009, she met with
Code Pink
Code Pink: Women for Peace (often stylized as CODEPINK) is a left-wing internationally active non-governmental organization that describes itself as a "grassroots peace and social justice movement working to end U.S.-funded wars and occupations, ...
, and Coalition of Women for Peace. But in 2016 in Switzerland Zoabi retracted this somewhat and said:
::My vision is Justice and liberation. I don't want to formulate our position as Palestinians within the question of one state or two states. This is a procedural question for me... Even if we are talking about two states, none of them can be a Jewish state... both must be democratic. We cannot agree with the notion of a Jewish state. It's not a matter of one or two. It's a matter of justice and liberation. I think this is a terminology we must use....
::Now! End occupation. Now! The right of return!... my party which I represent talks about two different states. One state for all citizens which is non-Zionist state, non-Jewish state, within the borders of '48. And a Palestinian state, with the right of return.... This is the program of my party.
She also believes that the West should engage with rather than boycott
Hamas
Hamas (, ; , ; an acronym of , "Islamic Resistance Movement") is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist, militant, and nationalist organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Bri ...
, which rules the
Gaza Strip
The Gaza Strip (;The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.761 "Gaza Strip /'gɑːzə/ a strip of territory under the control of the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas, on the SE Mediterranean coast including the town of Gaza.. ...
. She commented, "No one can tell the Palestinian people whom to choose as a government. Hamas is not a terrorist organization.... Regardless of whether I disagree
ith Hamas the international community cannot mediate neutrally if it starts to label the organizations of the Palestinians as illegitimate."
She has described soldiers of the
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the Israel, State of Israel. It consists of three servic ...
as "murderers."
Zoabi in 2009 described Lieberman,
Tzipi Livni
Tziporah Malka "Tzipi" Livni ( he, ציפי (ציפורה) מלכה לבני, ; born 8 July 1958) is an Israeli politician, diplomat, and lawyer. A former member of the Knesset and leader in the center-left political camp, Livni is a former fore ...
, and
Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (; ; born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who served as the ninth prime minister of Israel from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2009 to 2021. He is currently serving as Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of ...
as "a bunch of
fascist
Fascism is a far-right, Authoritarianism, authoritarian, ultranationalism, ultra-nationalist political Political ideology, ideology and Political movement, movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and pol ...
s pure and simple". She added, however, that
etanyahuis "much more dangerous" than Lieberman, because he "shares Lieberman's fascist views but takes care to sugarcoat his message for the international media".
At the 18th Knesset swearing-in ceremony on 24 February 2009, she left the Knesset plenum before the singing of
Hatikva
Hatikvah ( he, הַתִּקְוָה, haTīqvā, ; ) is the national anthem of the State of Israel. Part of 19th-century Jewish poetry, the theme of the Romantic composition reflects the 2,000-year-old desire of the Jewish people to return ...
, Israel's national anthem. "'Hatikva' doesn't represent me", she later said. "I preferred to leave the room, because I don't appreciate hypocrisy."
Zoabi and the Balad party reject any form of
national service
National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939.
The l ...
for Israel's Arab citizens.
Views on Iran
''
The Jerusalem Post
''The Jerusalem Post'' is a broadsheet newspaper based in Jerusalem, founded in 1932 during the British Mandate of Palestine by Gershon Agron as ''The Palestine Post''. In 1950, it changed its name to ''The Jerusalem Post''. In 2004, the paper w ...
'' reported in March 2009 that Zoabi said that she was not concerned that
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
might acquire
nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions ( thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bom ...
s. Instead she suggested that the Middle East needed a counterweight to Israel's nuclear weaponry. She explained, "I am afraid of real risk rather than of potential risk." An Iranian nuclear weapon, she said, is only a potential threat. "The real danger is the IDF.... It is more dangerous to the world, more dangerous to everyone, more dangerous to the Palestinians, to Israelis, to have Israel as the only powerful state.... The violence of the Israeli army is an outcome of Israel's convenient feeling that no one will restrict her."
Zoabi also claimed that Iran was a positive influence on
Palestinian affairs and had played a more beneficial role in region than
Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
or
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
because it stood more firmly "against occupation than a lot of the Arab countries".
[
Balad's chairman at the time, ]Jamal Zahalka
Dr Jamal Zahalka ( ar, جمال زحالقة, he, ג'מאל זחאלקה; born 11 January 1955) is an Israeli Arab politician. He served as a member of the Knesset for Balad between 2003 and 2019, and was leader of the party between 2007 and 20 ...
, said that Zoabi's comments represented an analysis rather than a party position, and did not constitute supporting a nuclear-armed Iran.[
In an interview in 2010 in '']New Statesman
The ''New Statesman'' is a British political and cultural magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first connected with Sidney and Beatrice Webb and other leading members ...
'' she asked rhetorically, "If the world doesn't prevent Israel from having nuclear weapons, why does it prevent others?".
Participation in the Gaza flotilla
On 31 May 2010, Zoabi participated in the Gaza flotilla
The Gaza Freedom Flotilla, organized by the Free Gaza Movement and the Turkish Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (İHH), was carrying humanitarian aid and construction materials, with the intention of breaking ...
, and was on board the MV ''Mavi Marmara'' when violence broke out as Israeli commandos boarded the ship. Zoabi was arrested and briefly held by authorities. At a news conference upon her release, Zoabi called the raid criminal, saying she witnessed two wounded passengers bleed to death after the Israelis refused to provide requested medical aid. She also stated, "It was clear from the size of the force that boarded the ship that the purpose was not only to stop this sail, but to cause the largest possible number of fatalities in order to stop such initiatives in the future."
In a speech at the Knesset a day after her release, Zoabi called the raid a "pirate military operation" and asked for an international investigation. She also demanded to know why the Israeli government had not released photos and videos it confiscated from passengers that might shed light on why nine passengers were killed and dozens wounded. During her address she also said, "Israel spoke of a provocation, but there was no provocation. Why does the government of Israel oppose an investigation?"
Zoabi was repeatedly interrupted and shouted down during the speech by other lawmakers, one of whom shouted "Go to Gaza, traitor!" The chaos reached a peak when MK Anastasia Michaeli charged the podium in an attempt to prevent Zoabi from continuing. Zoabi received death threats after the speech, and two security guards were assigned for her protection. One man who offered a reward on Facebook of free groceries for killing Zoabi was arrested.
Zoabi commented three years after the events, "I came to the Knesset two days after the Marmara events, stunned by the way a political protest had become a bloodbath. I hoped that the MKs would want to hear firsthand testimony. I was ready to be questioned. But I was so naive. I encountered hate politics."
For her participation in the Gaza flotilla, Israel Interior Minister Eli Yishai
Eliyahu "Eli" Yishai ( he, אליהו "אלי" ישי, born 26 December 1962) is an Israeli politician. A former leader of Shas, he represented the party in the Knesset from 1996 until 2015, also holding several ministerial posts, including bein ...
requested that Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein
Yehuda Weinstein ( he, יהודה וינשטיין; born 19 April 1944) is an Israeli lawyer and former Attorney General of Israel, having replaced the previous attorney general, Menachem Mazuz, on 1 February 2010.
Biography
Weinstein was born ...
revoke Zoabi's parliamentary immunity and authorize Yishai to strip Zoabi of Israeli citizenship. Yishai accused Zoabi of engaging in a "premeditated act of treason", claiming she had assisted activists on board the ''Mavi Marmara'' and was "undoubtedly aware" of their preparations to attack IDF soldiers. Likud
Likud ( he, הַלִּיכּוּד, HaLikud, The Consolidation), officially known as Likud – National Liberal Movement, is a major centre-right to right-wing political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin and Ariel Sharon ...
MK Yariv Levin
Yariv Gideon Levin (, born 22 June 1969) is an Israeli lawyer and politician who serves as List of Knesset speakers, Speaker of the Knesset since December 2022, previously serving that role from 2020 to 2021. He currently serves as a member of K ...
also accused Zoabi of betraying the State of Israel, and called for her prosecution.
A Knesset committee voted 7–1 to recommend her parliamentary immunity be revoked, which attracted concern from the international Inter-Parliamentary Union
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU; french: Union Interparlementaire, UIP) is an inter-parliamentary institution, international organization of national parliaments. Its primary purpose is to promote democratic governance, accountability, and coop ...
and was ultimately blocked by Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin
Reuven "Ruvi" Rivlin ( he, רְאוּבֵן "רוּבִי" רִיבְלִין ; born 9 September 1939) is an Israeli politician and lawyer who served as the tenth president of Israel between 2014 and 2021. He is a member of the Likud party. Riv ...
, who ignored the recommendation and declined to submit it to a vote of the full Knesset. He and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (; ; born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who served as the ninth prime minister of Israel from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2009 to 2021. He is currently serving as Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of ...
hoped that sparing Zoabi would protect Israel from further international condemnation over its Gaza blockade and its military's actions aboard the ''Mavi Marmara''. Rivlin, known for his advocacy of Arab–Jewish coexistence, said he was stunned by the assault on Zoabi's privileges as well as the near physical attack upon her. He asked, "Would they do that to a Jewish member?"
When the full Knesset met on 13 July 2010, it decided, in a 34–16 vote, to strip Zoabi of three parliamentary privileges as a penalty for her participation in the flotilla: the right to have a diplomatic passport, entitlement to financial assistance should she require legal help, and the right to visit countries with which Israel does not have diplomatic relations. She was also stripped of the right to participate in Knesset discussions and to vote in parliamentary committees. In 2011, Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein closed the case against Zoabi because of "significant evidentiary and legal difficulties."
Israeli foreign ministry tweets
Partly because of an Israeli embassy's tweets about Zoabi, in August 2012, the Foreign Ministry of Israel updated its social media guidelines for its worldwide diplomats, clarifying that for practical purposes there is no difference between a tweet or on-line social media post and an official briefing, as they will be interpreted as Israel's official position. This move followed several embarrassing incidents where inappropriate tweets or posts were made by Israeli embassies. One major embarrassment occurred when Zoabi made a speaking tour of Ireland. When she criticized Israel in some of her speeches, the Dublin-based Israeli embassy in Ireland responded with three tweets critical of her, in spite of the fact that she is an elected official.
2014 kidnapping comments and Knesset suspension
On 15 June 2014, five days after the kidnapping by Palestinians of three Israeli teenagers, Zoabi said, "Is it strange that people living under occupation and living impossible lives, in a situation where Israel kidnaps new prisoners every day, is it strange that they kidnap? They are not terrorists. Even if I do not agree with them, they are people who do not see any way to change their reality, and they are compelled to use means like these".
Many Israeli public figures criticized Zoabi's words. Labor opposition leader Isaac Herzog
Isaac "Bougie" Herzog ( he, יצחק "בוז׳י" הרצוג, Yitskhak "Buzhi" Hertsog; born 22 September 1960) is an Israeli politician who has been serving as the 11th president of Israel since 2021. He is the first president to be born in ...
said they "were harmful to peace and the coexistence of Jews and Arabs in Israel as well as to the families who are hopefully awaiting news regarding their missing loved ones." Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman
Avigdor Lieberman (, ; russian: Эве́т Льво́вич Ли́берман, Evet Lvovich Liberman, ; born 5 June 1958) is a Soviet-born Israeli politician serving as Ministry of Finance (Israel), Minister of Finance since 2021, having prev ...
said that "not only are the kidnappers terrorists, Hanin Zoabi is a terrorist too." Echoing comments by other Israeli politicians, Knesset Interior Committee chairwoman Miri Regev
Miriam "Miri" Regev ( he, מִרְיָם "מִירִי" רֶגֶב; born Miriam Siboni on 26 May 1965) is an Israeli politician and a former brigadier-general in the Israel Defense Forces, in which she served as IDF Spokeswoman. She currently s ...
said, "Hanin Zoabi is a traitor and should be deported to Gaza."
Zoabi reported receiving hundreds of death threats in the first days after her comments. She commented, "I was taken by surprise at the public's reaction. I was surprised since the injustice inflicted on the other side is so much greater. There are thousands of abducted Palestinians in Israeli prisons.... It's not that I want Israelis to be abducted and not released. The exact opposite is the case."
On 25 July Israeli attorney general Yehuda Weinstein
Yehuda Weinstein ( he, יהודה וינשטיין; born 19 April 1944) is an Israeli lawyer and former Attorney General of Israel, having replaced the previous attorney general, Menachem Mazuz, on 1 February 2010.
Biography
Weinstein was born ...
ordered an investigation of Zoabi on charges of incitement and public disgrace. On July 29, Zoabi was suspended from the Knesset plenum for a duration of six months. During that time she was not allowed to address the Knesset or its committees. Zoabi's appeal to Israel's Supreme Court to overturn the suspension was rejected.
Meeting with Palestinian attackers families
In February 2016, during the 2015–2016 wave of violence in Israeli-Palestinian conflict Zoabi and two other Arab Israeli MKs met with the families of Palestinian attackers. The purpose of the meeting was to secure the release of the attackers bodies for burial. For the participation in the meeting she and the two other Arab Israeli MKs were suspended from the Knesset for four months by the Knesset's Ethics Committee.
See also
* List of Arab members of the Knesset
There have been Israeli Arab members of the Knesset ever since the first Knesset elections in 1949. The following is a list of the 100 past and present members. Some Israeli Druze dispute the label "Arab" and consider Druze to be a separate eth ...
* Women in Arab societies
The roles of women in the Arab world have changed throughout history, as the culture and society in which they live has undergone significant transformations. Historically, as well as presently, the situation of women differs greatly between A ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zoabi, Haneen
1969 births
Living people
Arab citizens of Israel
Politicians from Nazareth
University of Haifa alumni
Hebrew University of Jerusalem Faculty of Social Sciences alumni
Israeli educators
Israeli civil servants
Women members of the Knesset
Palestinian women in politics
Arab members of the Knesset
Balad (political party) politicians
Members of the 18th Knesset (2009–2013)
Members of the 19th Knesset (2013–2015)
Members of the 20th Knesset (2015–2019)
21st-century Israeli women politicians
Israeli Muslims
Israeli politicians convicted of fraud