Abd el-Aziz el-Zoubi
Encyclopedia
Abd el-Aziz el-Zoubi was an Israeli Arab politician who served as a member of the Knesset
for Mapam
and the Alignment
from 1965 until his death in 1974. When appointed Deputy Minister of Health
on 24 May 1971, he became the first non-Jewish member of an Israeli government
.
during the Mandate era, el-Zoubi was educated at a local high school, before attending the Arab College
in Jerusalem. He worked as a tax clerk for the Mandate authorities, and following Israeli independence in 1948, worked as a clerk for the Israel Lands Authority until 1958. He also served as secretary of the Government Workers Union in Nazareth.
In 1956 he helped organise the Jewish Arab Association for Peace and Equal Rights, and was amongst the founders of the Arab Institute at Givat Haviva. In 1958 he joined Mapam, and in 1961 was appointed deputy mayor of Nazareth. In 1965 he became the city's mayor, holding the post until the following year. In the November 1965 Knesset elections
he won a seat on the Mapam list, and entered the parliament.
He was re-elected in 1969
on the Alignment
list (an alliance of the Labor Party and Mapam), and on 24 May 1971 was appointed Deputy Minister of Health in Yitzhak Rabin
's government
. He retained his seat in the 1973 elections
, but died less than a month after the Knesset reconvened. His seat was taken by Haviv Shimoni
.
Outside of politics, el-Zoubi was also involved in various publications; he was a member of the editorial board of New Outlook, edited the al Fajar monthly magazine, and was one of the editors of the al Mersad weekly newspaper.
His extended family includes Seif el-Din el-Zoubi, who also served as a member of the Knesset for several parties and mayor of Nazareth, and cousin Haneen Zoubi, who is currently a Knesset member for Balad.
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
for Mapam
Mapam
Mapam was a political party in Israel and is one of the ancestors of the modern-day Meretz party.-History:Mapam was formed by a January 1948 merger of the Hashomer Hatzair Workers Party and Ahdut HaAvoda Poale Zion Movement. The party was originally Marxist-Zionist in its outlook and represented...
and the Alignment
Alignment (political party)
The Alignment was an alliance of the major left-wing parties in Israel between the 1960s and 1990s. It was established in 1965 as an alliance of Mapai and Ahdut HaAvoda but was dissolved three years later when the two parties and Rafi formally merged into the Israeli Labor Party...
from 1965 until his death in 1974. When appointed Deputy Minister of Health
Health Minister of Israel
The Ministry of Health is a ministry in the Israeli government. The current Minister of Health is Binyamin Netanyahu of Likud.There is occasionally a Deputy Minister of Health...
on 24 May 1971, he became the first non-Jewish member of an Israeli government
Cabinet of Israel
The Cabinet of Israel is a formal body composed of government officials called ministers, chosen and led by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister must appoint members based on the distribution of votes to political parties during legislative elections, and its composition must be approved by a...
.
Biography
Born in NazarethNazareth
Nazareth is the largest city in the North District of Israel. Known as "the Arab capital of Israel," the population is made up predominantly of Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel...
during the Mandate era, el-Zoubi was educated at a local high school, before attending the Arab College
Arab College (Jerusalem)
The Arab College in Jerusalem was the first, and for quite some time the only, secondary school for Arab students in the British Mandate of Palestine. The Arab College lasted from 1918 until 1948, when it was swept away in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War...
in Jerusalem. He worked as a tax clerk for the Mandate authorities, and following Israeli independence in 1948, worked as a clerk for the Israel Lands Authority until 1958. He also served as secretary of the Government Workers Union in Nazareth.
In 1956 he helped organise the Jewish Arab Association for Peace and Equal Rights, and was amongst the founders of the Arab Institute at Givat Haviva. In 1958 he joined Mapam, and in 1961 was appointed deputy mayor of Nazareth. In 1965 he became the city's mayor, holding the post until the following year. In the November 1965 Knesset elections
Israeli legislative election, 1965
Elections for the sixth Knesset were held in Israel on 1 November 1965. Voter turnout was 85.9%.-Background:Prior to the elections, two major alliances were formed; Mapai and Ahdut HaAvoda united to form the Alignment, whilst Herut and the Liberal Party had formed the Gahal alliance towards the end...
he won a seat on the Mapam list, and entered the parliament.
He was re-elected in 1969
Israeli legislative election, 1969
Elections for the seventh Knesset were held in Israel on 28 October 1969. Voter turnout was 81.7%.-Results:¹ Meir Avizohar defected from the National List to the Alignment² Avner Shaki left the National Religious Party and remained a single MK...
on the Alignment
Alignment (political party)
The Alignment was an alliance of the major left-wing parties in Israel between the 1960s and 1990s. It was established in 1965 as an alliance of Mapai and Ahdut HaAvoda but was dissolved three years later when the two parties and Rafi formally merged into the Israeli Labor Party...
list (an alliance of the Labor Party and Mapam), and on 24 May 1971 was appointed Deputy Minister of Health in Yitzhak Rabin
Yitzhak Rabin
' was an Israeli politician, statesman and general. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–77 and 1992 until his assassination in 1995....
's government
Fifteenth government of Israel
The fifteenth government of Israel was formed by Golda Meir on 15 December 1969 following the October elections. The government was a continuation of the national unity government formed during the previous Knesset, and consisted of the Alignment, Gahal, the National Religious Party, the...
. He retained his seat in the 1973 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1973
The Elections for the eighth Knesset were held on 31 December 1973. Voter turnout was 78.6%.-Results:1 Aryeh Eliav left the Alignment and merged with Ratz to form Ya'ad - Civil Rights Movement...
, but died less than a month after the Knesset reconvened. His seat was taken by Haviv Shimoni
Haviv Shimoni
Haviv Shimoni was an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for the Alignment between 1974 and 1977.-Biography:Born in Dahuk in Kurdistan in northern Iraq, Shimoni made aliyah to Mandate Palestine in 1936. He later became the general secretary for the National Association of...
.
Outside of politics, el-Zoubi was also involved in various publications; he was a member of the editorial board of New Outlook, edited the al Fajar monthly magazine, and was one of the editors of the al Mersad weekly newspaper.
His extended family includes Seif el-Din el-Zoubi, who also served as a member of the Knesset for several parties and mayor of Nazareth, and cousin Haneen Zoubi, who is currently a Knesset member for Balad.