LONDON: Former Knesset member Haneen Zoabi has been arrested at her home in Nazareth by Israeli police on suspicion of inciting terrorism and supporting outlawed organizations.
According to Hassan Jabareen, director of the Haifa-based Adalah Legal Center, Zoabi was taken to Tiberias for questioning. Jabareen described the early morning arrest, carried out by six police officers, as “unlawful,” arguing that Zoabi could have been summoned for questioning in a regular manner.
“The legality of this detention will be a central issue if authorities attempt to extend it,” Jabareen told the Palestinian News and Information Agency (WAFA).
Zoabi, a prominent Palestinian political figure and longtime critic of Israeli policies, served in the Israeli Knesset from 2009 to 2019 as part of the Palestinian nationalist Balad Party. She has been an outspoken advocate for the 1.6 million Palestinian citizens of Israel, who represent about 20% of the population.
