Monday, July 18, 2011

Arab MK Stripped of Right to Speak in Parliament

PNN

Tel Aviv - PNN - The Knesset ethics committee voted on Monday to strip Arab member of parliament Hanin Zuabi of her rights to address parliament and vote in committees.
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Hanin Zuabi speaks in parliament
The decision comes one year after Zuabi had other parliamentary rights taken away from her, including her diplomatic passport, financial help for legal assistance and the right to travel to countries Israel does not have official ties with.

The stripping of these rights came after Zuabi sailed on the Turkish ship the Mavi Marmara during last year's Gaza flotilla.

Zuabi was first elected in 2009 as a member of Balad. The 42-year-old Palestinian from Nazareth is one of Israel's 1.5 million Arab citizens.

When some of her parliamentary rights were revoked last year, Zuabi went to the High Court of Justice to get the privileges back, but they were ultimately stripped by a Knesset vote of 34-16.

Zuabi has been a vocal critic of some of Israel's policies both inside and outside the Knesset. Last week she was taken out of the Knesset hall by security officers after interrupting a speech by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the recently-passed anti-boycott law.

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