And Ghida Rinawi Al-Zoubi, 49, an Israeli Arab, announced her exit from the coalition in a letter denouncing the government’s policy towards Israeli Arabs, who represent 20% of the Israeli population.
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid welcomed the deputy’s return to the coalition via Twitter, tweeting, “I am happy for Ghaida Al-Zoubi’s return to the coalition… We put our differences aside and together resumed the work of the government and the coalition.”
“Unfortunately, in recent months and due to narrow political considerations, the leaders of the coalition have preferred to preserve and strengthen their right-wing side,” Zoubi wrote in a letter addressed to Bennett and Lapid.
She added in Arabic that this relates to “the basic issues of importance to the entire Arab community, Al-Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock, Sheikh Jarrah, settlement and occupation, home demolitions and land confiscation in the Negev, and of course the citizenship law.”
She pointed out “the total disregard by the government coalition towards the real needs of Arab towns, especially in the areas of developing local authorities, housing issues, employment and education.”
She said, “I reached one inevitable result. I can no longer support an alliance that narrows it in this shameful way towards the Arab community from which I come and announces the withdrawal of my candidacy for any future appointment, and the termination of my membership in the coalition.”
And she continued, “Last month, the scenes that came from Al-Aqsa Mosque in the month of Ramadan of policemen dealing with unjustified violence towards the crowds of worshipers, and the funeral of the Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, were unlikely scenes.”
The threat to withdraw Al-Zoubi from the coalition came six weeks after the resignation of right-wing MP Idit Silman, which caused the coalition to lose its majority in Parliament, after its membership became 60, that is, equal to the number of opposition members, out of a total of 120 deputies in Parliament.
#Israel #Arab #retracts #resignation #government #coalition