Israeli Arab Knesset member Hanin Zoabi told a Knesset subcommittee on Wednesday that she considers the city of Tel Aviv to be “occupied territory” as well.
The question came up during a discussion on the application to the Council of Higher Education by the University of Ariel (and in general, the relevance of the CHE to Judea and Samaria) for the purposes of opening the Faculty of Medicine at the university.
Knesset member Yossi Yona (Zionist Union) had asked Zoabi if she would oppose the law applying Israeli sovereignty – and thus the CHE – to the University of Ariel – even if the institution was located in Tel Aviv.
Zoabi replied that as far as she was concerned, Tel Aviv was “occupied” as well.
“The argument follows Yona’s statement that his opposition to continuing control over Judea and Samaria is only to prevent the control over another people,” she said. “But he recognizes that in principle, we have a right to the territory itself.”
Zoabi is one of three Israeli Arab lawmakers who are under investigation by the Israel Police Lahav 433 Special Crimes Unit in connection with allegations of fraud, forgery, money laundering, cheating, breach of trust and violations of integrity.
She was also expelled from the Knesset plenum this past Monday (Jan. 22, 2018) together with other members of the Joint Arab List faction after violating parliament regulations by raising protest signs in a deliberate attempt to disrupt the start of an historic address to Israeli lawmakers by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence.
A recording from Wednesday’s discussion about the university was broadcast over the internet, according to Rotter.net.