Arab Member of Knesset Hanin Zo’by was given a security detail after she received several death threats for her participation in the Freedom Flotilla, the convoy of aid ships that was raided Monday by Israeli forces before it could reach Gaza.The office of Zo’by stated that she received dozens of death threats by phone and email, and that some of the messages included direct death threats while other messages “wishes her fast death,” and wishes that she “would lose her family,’ the same way activists were shot and killed when the army attacked the Freedom Flotilla.
During a Knesset session on Thursday, Hanin was repeatedly disrupted during her speech while some members of Knesset even tried to attack her physically.
Several Knesset members tried to silence her and then attacked her when she stated that the Israeli attack against the solidarity ships on Monday, and the killing of the peace activists is “a criminal act and an act of piracy”.
Zo’by stated that deaths threats will not stop her from defending human rights and added that she will participate in upcoming solidarity ships “whether the racists like it or not.”
She is one of 12 Arab legislators at the Israeli Knesset, and was arrested when the army attacked the ships and kidnapped the activists.
During the Knesset session, legislators of several parties including Kadima, Labor and Likud, described her as a “Trojan horse, terrorist, and traitor,” and called for expelling her out of the Knesset and out of the country.
Member of Knesset, Anastasia Michaeli, of the fundamentalist Yisrael Beiteinu Party, shouted at Zo’by and went up to the podium to physically attack Zo’by and shouted “why is this woman allowed to speak” and “go to Gaza” . She tried to physically attack Zo’by but the guards intervened.
Legislators of the Kadima and the Likud tried to attack Zo’by while she was on her way to the stage and uttered dirty words and slurs at her.
