Haneen Zoabi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Haneen Zoabi
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حنين زعبي
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Haneen Zoabi in 2012
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| Member of the Knesset | |
| In office 24 February 2009 – 30 March 2019 |
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| Succeeded by | Ofer Cassif |
| Constituency | Joint List |
| Faction represented in the Knesset | |
| 2009–2015 | Balad |
| 2015–2019 | Joint List |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 23 May 1969 Nazareth, Israel |
| Nationality | Palestinian-Israeli |
| Political party | Balad |
| Education | University of Haifa, Hebrew University of Jerusalem |
| Occupation | Politician |
Haneen Zoabi (Arabic: حنين زعبي, Hebrew: חנין זועבי; born 23 May 1969) is a Palestinian-Israeli politician. She was the first Arab woman elected to the Israeli parliament, called the Knesset, on an Arab party's list. She served as a member of the Knesset for the Balad party from 2009 to 2019.
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About Haneen Zoabi
Haneen Zoabi was born in Nazareth into a Muslim family. She studied philosophy and psychology at the University of Haifa. Later, she earned a Master of Arts degree in communications from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
She was the first Arab citizen in Israel to complete studies in media. She also helped start the first media classes in Arab schools. Before becoming a politician, she worked as a mathematics teacher. She also served as a school inspector for the Israeli Ministry of Education.
Zoabi is related to other important figures in Israeli politics. Her relative, Seif el-Din el-Zoubi, was a former mayor of Nazareth. He also served as a member of the Knesset for many years. Another relative, Abd el-Aziz el-Zoubi, was a Deputy Health Minister. He was the first Arab member of an Israeli government.
Her Journey in Politics
Zoabi joined the Balad political party in 2001. In 2003, she helped create an organization called I'lam – Media Center for Arab Palestinians in Israel. This group focused on media for Arab Palestinians. She was its general director until she left to focus on her political career in 2009.
She first ran for the Knesset in 2006. However, her position on the party's list was too low to win a seat. For the 2009 elections, she was placed third on the Balad list. When the party won three seats, she became a member of the Knesset. This made her the first Arab woman to represent an Arab party in the Knesset.
Challenges to Her Candidacy
Before the January 2013 elections, there were discussions about whether Zoabi could run. Some people wanted to prevent her from being a candidate. They claimed she had views that went against Israel's identity as a Jewish and democratic state.
The Central Elections Committee voted to disqualify her. However, the Supreme Court overturned this decision. A panel of nine judges unanimously voted to allow her to run. Zoabi was then re-elected to the Knesset.
A similar situation happened before the March 2015 elections. The Central Elections Committee again voted to disqualify her. But once more, the Supreme Court overturned the ruling. She retired from national politics before the April 2019 elections.
Her Political Ideas
Haneen Zoabi sees herself as a Palestinian. She believes that a two-state solution is not realistic. She also thinks that the idea of Israel being a Jewish state is unfair. Instead, she supports a single state where both Jews and Palestinian Arabs live together. In this state, everyone would have full rights and be treated equally.
She has said that a single state with equality is a more realistic solution. She believes this is better than having separate states that might not be truly independent. Zoabi also thinks that rejecting the idea of a "Jewish state" is important. She believes it helps ensure that all citizens have equal rights.
Her party's program supports two different states. One would be a non-Zionist, non-Jewish state within the 1948 borders. The other would be a Palestinian state with the right of return for refugees.
Zoabi also believed that Western countries should talk to Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip. She felt that the international community should not label Palestinian groups as illegitimate.
Views on Iran
In 2009, The Jerusalem Post reported on Zoabi's views about Iran possibly getting nuclear weapons. She stated she was not worried about it. She suggested that the Middle East needed a balance to Israel's nuclear weapons. She believed the real danger was the Israeli army, not a potential Iranian nuclear weapon.
She also thought Iran had a positive influence on Palestinian affairs. She felt Iran played a more helpful role in the region than some Arab countries. This was because Iran stood more firmly "against occupation."
Participation in the Gaza Flotilla
On May 31, 2010, Zoabi was part of the Gaza flotilla. She was on board the MV Mavi Marmara ship. Violence occurred when Israeli commandos boarded the ship. Zoabi was arrested and held briefly by authorities.
After her release, Zoabi called the raid a "pirate military operation." She asked for an international investigation into the events. She also questioned why the Israeli government did not release photos and videos from passengers.
During a speech in the Knesset, she was interrupted by other lawmakers. She received threats after her speech. Two security guards were assigned to protect her.
Consequences of Her Participation
Because of her involvement, some officials wanted to remove Zoabi's parliamentary immunity. They also wanted to take away her Israeli citizenship. A Knesset committee voted to recommend revoking her immunity. However, the Knesset Speaker, Reuven Rivlin, blocked this recommendation. He did not submit it for a full Knesset vote.
On July 13, 2010, the full Knesset voted to remove some of Zoabi's parliamentary privileges. These included the right to a diplomatic passport and financial help for legal issues. She also lost the right to visit countries without diplomatic ties with Israel. She was also not allowed to participate in Knesset discussions or vote in parliamentary committees. In 2011, the case against Zoabi was closed due to "significant evidentiary and legal difficulties."
Meeting with Families of Attackers
In February 2016, during a period of violence, Zoabi and two other Arab Israeli Knesset members met with families of Palestinian attackers. The purpose of the meeting was to help get the bodies of the attackers released for burial. For participating in this meeting, she and the other two members were suspended from the Knesset for four months. This decision was made by the Knesset's Ethics Committee.
See also
In Spanish: Haneen Zoabi para niños
- List of Arab members of the Knesset
- Women in Arab societies
