Seif el-Din el-Zoubi, ; in Hebrew his name was most often written without niqqud (as is standard) as . (; 1913 – 26 June 1986) was an

Israeli Arab The Arab citizens of Israel form the country's largest ethnic minority. Their community mainly consists of former Palestinian Citizenship Order 1925, Mandatory Palestine citizens (and their descendants) who continued to inhabit the territory ...

politician.

Biography

El-Zoubi was born in 1913 in

Nazareth Nazareth is the largest Cities in Israel, city in the Northern District (Israel), Northern District of Israel. In its population was . Known as "the Arab capital of Israel", Nazareth serves as a cultural, political, religious, economic and ...

, where he attended high school. During the British Mandate of Palestine, he was active in the

Haganah Haganah ( , ) was the main Zionist political violence, Zionist paramilitary organization that operated for the Yishuv in the Mandatory Palestine, British Mandate for Palestine. It was founded in 1920 to defend the Yishuv's presence in the reg ...

and later received the Fighter of the State Decoration. During the Israeli War of Independence, he convinced the Zoubi family to throw their weight behind the Jewish side and not for

Fawzi al-Qawuqji Fawzi al-Qawuqji (, ; 19 January 1890 – 5 June 1977) was a Lebanese-born Arab nationalist military figure in the interwar period.The Arabs and the Holocaust: The Arab-Israeli War of Narratives, by Gilbert Achcar, (NY: Henry Holt and Co.; 2009 ...

Arab Liberation Army The Arab Liberation Army (ALA; , better translated as Arab Rescue Army (ARA) or Arab Salvation Army (ASA), was an army of volunteers from Arab countries led by Fawzi al-Qawuqji. It fought on the Arab side in the 1948 Palestine war. It was set ...

. In 1949, he was elected to the

Knesset The Knesset ( , ) is the Unicameralism, unicameral legislature of Israel. The Knesset passes all laws, elects the President of Israel, president and Prime Minister of Israel, prime minister, approves the Cabinet of Israel, cabinet, and supe ...

as the leader of the

Democratic List of Nazareth The Democratic List of Nazareth (, ''Reshima Demokratit shel Natzrat''; ) was an Arab satellite list in Israel and the only Israeli Arab party to win seats in the first Knesset. The party, which was sponsored by David Ben-Gurion's Mapai, "Mapai' ...

which was a

bloc party Bloc Party are an English Rock music, rock band that was formed in London, England, London in 1999 by co-founders Kele Okereke (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano, sampler) and Russell Lissack (lead guitar). Their first four albums all featur ...

Mapai Mapai (, an abbreviation for , ''Mifleget Poalei Eretz Yisrael'', ) was a Labor Zionist and democratic socialist political party in Israel, and was the dominant force in Israeli politics until its merger into the Israeli Labor Party in January ...

. During this time he was a member of the Knesset Internal Affairs Committee. He was re-elected in 1951 on the

Democratic List for Israeli Arabs The Democratic List for Israeli Arabs ( ''al-Qā'ima al-dīmũqrāṭiyya li-'arab Isrā'īl'', , ''Reshima Demokratit LeAravei Yisrael'') was an Arab satellite list in Israel. History In the 1951 elections the party gained 2% of the vote and ...

, and again in 1955. During this time he served on the Knesset house committee. He resigned from the Knesset on 13 February 1956. In 1959, he became mayor of Nazareth, the city's first Muslim mayor in decades, and held the post until 1965, when he returned to the Knesset on the

Progress and Development Progress and Development (, ''Kidma VePituah''; ) was an Arab satellite list in Israel. History Progress and Development was established in 1959, drawing its support from the Galilee area. Like other Israeli Arab parties at the time, it was asso ...

list, which briefly merged into

Cooperation and Development Cooperation and Development (, ''Shituf VePituah''; ) was a short-lived Arab satellite list in Israel. History Cooperation and Development was established on 5 July 1966 during the 1965 Israeli legislative election, sixth Knesset, when two of the ...

before regaining its independence. He was elected to the Knesset in 1969, and was appointed Deputy Speaker of the Knesset. In 1971, el-Zoubi became mayor of Nazareth again, holding the post until 1974. El-Zoubi was re-elected in

1973 Events January * January 1 – The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 14 - The 16-0 19 ...

. In 1974, Progress and Development merged into

Alignment Alignment may refer to: Archaeology * Alignment (archaeology), a co-linear arrangement of features or structures with external landmarks * Stone alignment, a linear arrangement of upright, parallel megalithic standing stones Biology * Struc ...

, before leaving it and forming the

United Arab List The United Arab List (, ''HaReshima HaAravit HaMe'uhedet''; , ''al-Qā'ima al-'Arabiyya al-Muwaḥḥada''), commonly known by its Hebrew acronym Ra'am (, ), is an Islamist and conservative political party in Israel and the political wing of ...

. He was re-elected for a final time on the United Arab List slate in

1977 Events January * January 8 – 1977 Moscow bombings, Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (no ...

, before resigning his seat on 3 April 1979. He died in 1986. Haneen Zoabi, who served as a Member of the Knesset for the

Joint List The Joint List (, ''al-Qa'imah al-Mushtarakah'', , ''HaReshima HaMeshutefet'') was a political alliance of four of the Arab-Israeli, Arab-majority political parties in Israel: Hadash, Balad (political party), Balad, the United Arab List and Ta' ...

, is a relative.

Controversy

According to Israeli historian Ori Stendel, el-Zoubi used his ties with the Israeli establishment to compensate for the decline of his political power within the Zubia clan. Historian Hillel Cohen wrote that el-Zoubi was "upgraded" by

in exchange for relinquishing national demands and legitimizing land confiscations.

Yitzhak Laor Yitzhak Laor (; born in 1948) is an Israeli poet, author and journalist. Biography Yitzhak Laor was born in Pardes Hanna. Literary and journalism career He is the author of ten volumes of poetry, three novels, three collections of short stories, ...

described his conduct as tantamount to taking political bribery.

Publications

*Autobiography: ”Eyewitness” (, 1987)

References

Notes

External links

* , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Zoubi, Seif El-Din El- 1913 births 1986 deaths Alignment (Israel) politicians Arab members of the Knesset Arab people in Mandatory Palestine Arab supporters of Israel Cooperation and Development politicians Democratic List for Israeli Arabs politicians Democratic List of Nazareth politicians Deputy speakers of the Knesset Haganah members Israeli Muslims Leaders of political parties in Israel Mayors of Nazareth Members of the 1st Knesset (1949–1951) Members of the 2nd Knesset (1951–1955) Members of the 3rd Knesset (1955–1959) Members of the 6th Knesset (1965–1969) Members of the 7th Knesset (1969–1974) Members of the 8th Knesset (1974–1977) Members of the 9th Knesset (1977–1981) Politicians from Nazareth Progress and Development politicians United Arab List (1977) politicians