Israeli Knesset revokes MK Zoubi's parliamentary privileges

The General Authority of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, ratified yesterday by a majority of votes, a decision to strip the Arab MK, Haneen Zoubi of some of her parliamentary privileges subsequent to her participation on the ‘Freedom Flotilla’ which attempted to break the siege on the Gaza Strip in May this year.

Preliminary discussions about the recommendation, which took place early last month, came to a conclusion to withdraw three of Zoubi’s parliamentary privileges in accordance with the rules of membership to the Knesset. These revoked privileges include withdrawing her diplomatic passport, depriving her of legal financial aid and stripping her of parliamentary rights related to foreign travel.

The leader of the Knesset’s parliamentary committee, the Likud deputy’s Yariv Levin, welcomed the decision saying that it constituted “a red light in the face of perpetrators of subversive practices, it also falls in line with the prevalent feelings among the majority of the Jewish people.”

The MP for the “the National Democratic Assembly” made an announcement saying that “this decision represents a dangerous precedent in the dealings of the state and its institutions with the Arab citizens and their legitimate leadership which falls within the framework of political harassment of the Arab leadership and constitutes a prelude to stripping it of its legitimacy.” It stressed its intention to exhaust all available means to challenge the Knesset’s decision as well as the hysterical campaign targeting the Palestinian Arab leadership inside Israel.

Source: Quds Press