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 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

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 ...

between 1999 and 2003. She was the first female

Israeli Arab The Arab citizens of Israel are the largest ethnic minority in the country. They comprise a hybrid community of Israeli citizens with a heritage of Palestinian citizenship, mixed religions (Muslim, Christian or Druze), bilingual in Arabic an ...

to become a Knesset member.

Biography

Jabara was born to a Muslim farming family in

Tayibe Tayibe, also spelled Taibeh or Tayiba, ( ar, الطيبة, lit=the kind/benevolent, translit=aṭ-Ṭayyibah, South Levantine pronunciation: ; he, טַיִּבָּה) is an Arab city in central Israel, north east of Kfar Saba.Arab woman finds a place in Israel's Parliament
Indian Express, 24 May 1999 She studied physiotheraphy at the Wingate Institute. She joined the

Na'amat Na'amat ( he, נעמת) is an Israeli and international women's organization affiliated with the Labour Zionist Movement. Na'amat was founded in 1921. Etymology Na'amat is an acronym for ''Nashim Ovdot U'Mitnadvot'' ( he, נשים עובדות ...

women's organisation and was chairwoman of its Tayibe branch between 1992 and 1994. Between 1995 and 1997 she served as Women's and Youth director at the Jewish-Arab Institute at

Beit Berl Beit Berl ( he, בֵּית בֶּרְל, , Berl House) is an institutional settlement in Israel. Located on the outskirts of Kfar Saba, the village falls under the jurisdiction of Drom HaSharon Regional Council and is the location of Beit Berl Co ...

Academic College, and became chairwoman of the Department for the Middle East at the college's International Institute. Despite opposition from her father, Jabara sought to enter politics. Prior to the

1999 elections The following elections occurred in the year 1999. * 1999 electoral calendar Africa * 1999 Algerian presidential election * 1999 Botswana general election * 1999 Beninese parliamentary election * 1999 Central African Republic presidential elect ...

she won tenth place on the

list, and entered the Knesset after the party won ten seats. During her first term she chaired the Subcommittee for the Advancement of the Status of Arab Women and was also a member of the Committee on the Status of Women. In 2002 she travelled to

Ramallah Ramallah ( , ; ar, رام الله, , God's Height) is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank that serves as the ''de facto'' administrative capital of the State of Palestine. It is situated on the Judaean Mountains, north of Jerusale ...

to meet with Chairman of the

Palestinian Authority The Palestinian National Authority (PA or PNA; ar, السلطة الوطنية الفلسطينية '), commonly known as the Palestinian Authority and officially the State of Palestine,

Yasser Arafat, after five Palestinians were killed in 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 told him that Israel's assassination policy was not helping Israel, the way the suicide bombers are not helping the

Palestinian people 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 retained tenth place on the Meretz list for the 2003 Israeli legislative election, 2003 elections,2003 Meretz list
Israel Democracy Institute but lost her seat as the party was reduced to six MKs. Jabara is married to Fathi, a driving instructor, and has three children.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jabara, Hussniya 1958 births People from Tayibe Israeli Muslims Israeli educators Israeli women educators Arab members of the Knesset Women members of the Knesset Living people Meretz politicians Wingate Institute alumni Members of the 15th Knesset (1999–2003) 21st-century Israeli women politicians 20th-century Israeli women politicians