Israeli Arab politician Haneen Zoabi is critical of Israel’s growing fanaticism, but she believes that Israel can be changed to become a true Democracy. Zoabi is one of five Israeli Arabs serving in the Knesset and leading the new Joint List which has brought together under one party list all of the major Israeli Arab political parties. Journalist Mohammed Najib discusses Zoabi’s challenges and the March 17 Israeli elections
By Ray Hanania
Journalist Mohammed Najib, based in Ramallah, Palestine
Journalist Mohammed Najib discusses the complex case of Israeli Arab Knesset member Haneen Zoabi and the important role that Israel’s Arab citizens can play in the upcoming Israeli elections on March 17, 2015 during a radio interview with me on The Arab Daily News Radio broadcast in Greater Detroit and also in Washington D.C.
Najib pointed out that although Zoabi has been extremely critical of Israel’s rightwing fanatics, she also is critical of Israel’s so-called progressive liberal movement noting that many of the restrictions adopted by Israel against equal rights for Palestinian citizens of Israel have been pushed by the so-called “Israeli left.”
But Najib, based in Ramallah, Palestine, talks about her unique role and the role that Israel’s 1.8 million Palestinians can play by participating in the Israeli elections, possibly helping to topple Israeli war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu from public office and forcing Israelis, including the left, to return to the mandate of achieving equal rights, non-violence and true Democracy.
MK Haneen Zoubi. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The one hour interview with Najib also includes phone calls from listeners in Detroit, and also discusses the likelihood that Netanyahu may win re-election.
But Najib notes that this election represents the first election in which Palestinian citizens of Israel may actually show their strongest presence in the elections, inspired by the forced unity of the new Joint Arab List.
Zoabi was kicked off the election ballot by the racist Israeli Central Election Committee which acts more like one of the White Southern segregationist Organizations of the American 1950s. But the Israeli Supreme Court eventually overturned the racist ruling which was driven by Israeli political hatred and apartheid practices in Israel. Click here to read the story.
Israel’s oppressed and discriminated against Arab minority has organized election party lists and Israel has done everything it can to suppress and block their participation. But recently the Israeli Arab parties decided to come together as a “Joint” List to strengthen the Arab Israeli vote and participation in the election and overcome new racist Israeli laws to undermine the rights of Christian and Muslims Arab citizens of Israel. Click to read the story.
Click here to listen to the podcast of the radio show or use the podcast player below.
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rayhanania
Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.
"I write about three topics, the Middle East, politics and life in general. I often take my life experiences and offer them in an entertaining way to readers, and I take on the toughest topics like the Israel-Palestine conflict and don't pull any punches about what I feel is fair. But, my priority is always about writing the good story."
Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992. Hanania began writing in 1975 when he published The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper which was distributed through 12,500 Middle East food stores in 48 American States (2004-2007).
Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues for the Arab News in Saudi Arabia as the Special US Correspondent for the Arab News at www.ArabNews.com, the TheArabDailyNews.com, www.TheDailyHookah.com and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has also published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday Newspaper in New York, the Orlando Sentinel Newspapers, and the Arlington Heights Daily Herald.
Palestinian, American Arab and Christian, Hanania’s parents originate from Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.
His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.
The managing editor of Suburban Chicagoland Online News website www.SuburbanChicagoland.com, Hanania's columns also appeare in the Southwest News Newspaper Group of 8 newspapers.
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