Hussniya Jabara

Hussniya Jabara (Arabic: حسنية جبّارة‎, Hebrew: חוסניה ג'בארה‎; born 11 April 1958) is an Israeli former politician, who served as a member of the Knesset for Meretz between 1999 and 2003. She was the first female Israeli Arab to become a Knesset member.[1]

Hussniya Jabara
Date of birth (1958-04-11) 11 April 1958
Place of birthTayibe, Israel
Knessets15
Faction represented in Knesset
1999–2003Meretz

Biography

Jabara was born to a Muslim farming family in Tayibe.[2] She studied physiotheraphy at the Wingate Institute.

She joined the Na'amat women's organisation, and was chairwoman of its Tayibe branch between 1992 and 1994. Between 1995 and 1997 she served as Women's and Youth director at the Jewish-Arab Institute at Beit Berl Academic College, and became chairwoman of the Department for the Middle East at the college's International Institute.[3]

Despite opposition from her father,[4] Jabara sought to enter politics. Prior to the 1999 elections she won tenth place on the Meretz list,[5] and entered the Knesset after the party won ten seats. During her first term she chaired the Subcommittee for the Advancement of the Status of Arab Women and was also a member of the Committee on the Status of Women.

In 2002, she went to Ramallah to meet with Chairman of the Palestinian Authority, Yasser Arafat, after five Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip. She told him that Israel's assassination policy is not helping Israel, the way the suicide bombers are not helping the Palestinian people.[6]

She retained tenth place on the Meretz list for the 2003 elections,[7] but lost her seat as the party was reduced to six MKs.

Jabara is married to Fathi, a driving instructor, and has three children.[2]

References
  1. Grapevine: Elections and other celebrations The Jerusalem Post, 4 April 2006
  2. Arab woman finds a place in Israel's Parliament Indian Express, 24 May 1999
  3. Hussniya Jabara: Public activities Knesset website
  4. News Items Jewish Vanguard, Summer 2006, vol. 35
  5. 1999 Meretz list Israel Democracy Institute
  6. Behor, Diana (4 February 2002). "Arafat: The struggle to end the violence ended with an assassination". Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 15 December 2008.
  7. 2003 Meretz list Israel Democracy Institute
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