Dr Jamal Zahalka ( ar, جمال زحالقة, he, ג'מאל זחאלקה; born 11 January 1955) is an
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 ...
politician. He 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
Balad between 2003 and 2019, and was leader of the party between 2007 and 2019.
Biography
Zahalka was born in
Kafr Qara
Kafr Qara ( ar, كفر قرع, he, כַּפְר קַרִע; also spelled ''Kafr Qari'') is an Arab town in Israel southeast of Haifa. In its population was . Kafr Qara holds the record for doctors relative to population size in the country with ...
. As a teenager, he participated in
PLO activities in the town. He attended a Jewish high school in nearby
Haifa
Haifa ( he, חֵיפָה ' ; ar, حَيْفَا ') is the third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropol ...
. While in the middle of 12th grade, he was arrested over his PLO activities, as at the time the PLO was an outlawed organization. He was subsequently convicted and imprisoned for two years. He completed his
matriculation
Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by fulfilling certain academic requirements such as a matriculation examination.
Australia
In Australia, the term "matriculation" is seldom used now ...
in prison. After his release from prison, he studied pharmacy at the
Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He earned a BA, MA and PhD. His doctoral thesis was on the physiological properties of
hashish. He worked as a pharmacist prior to his entry into politics.
Zahalka was active in Arab and left-wing groups, and in the communist
Maki
Maki may refer to:
People
*Mäki, a Finnish surname (includes a list of people with the name)
*Maki (name), a Japanese given name and surname (includes a list of people with the name)
Places
*Maki, Ravar, Kerman Province, Iran
*Maki, Rigan, Ke ...
party. For a time, he studied in
East Germany
East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
, and returned to Israel in 1989. He later joined the Balad party, having met its founder
Azmi Bishara
Azmi Bishara ( ar, عزمي بشارة born 22 July 1956) is an Israeli Arab public intellectual, political philosopher and author. He is presently the General Director of the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies and the Chair of the ...
at university in 1977. He was elected to the Knesset on Balad's list in
2003, and was re-elected in
2006. After Bishara fled the country, Zahalka became party leader in 2007. He was subsequently re-elected in
2009,
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...
and
2015. He stepped down as party leader prior to the
April 2019 elections and left the Knesset.
Zahalka lives in
Kafr Qara
Kafr Qara ( ar, كفر قرع, he, כַּפְר קַרִע; also spelled ''Kafr Qari'') is an Arab town in Israel southeast of Haifa. In its population was . Kafr Qara holds the record for doctors relative to population size in the country with ...
and is married with three children.
Views on the treatment of Palestinians by Israel
Zahalka describes Israel's political discourse about the Palestinians as revolving around the ideas of separation, apartheid, and transfer. He argues that an
apartheid system is already in place, with the
West Bank
The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
and
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.. ...
separated into "cantons," and Palestinians required to carry permits to travel between them.
[New Laws Legalize Apartheid in Israel]
For the Record No. 116, June 11, 2002
Ynetnews, 9 February 2007
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 et ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zahalka, Jamal
1955 births
Living people
Arab members of the Knesset
Balad (political party) leaders
The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School alumni
Israeli atheists
Palestinian atheists
Joint List politicians
Members of the 16th Knesset (2003–2006)
Members of the 17th Knesset (2006–2009)
Members of the 18th Knesset (2009–2013)
Members of the 19th Knesset (2013–2015)
Members of the 20th Knesset (2015–2019)
People from Kafr Qara