The Israel Police detained former Balad MK Haneen Zoabi for questioning on Sunday morning on suspicion of incitement to violence and publicly expressing support for a terrorist organization.
She was detained following complaints about statements she made several months ago at an anti-Israel conference abroad, the Israel Police said.
“It wasn’t Hamas that resisted; it was the Palestinian people,” Zoabi reportedly said about the October 7 massacre. “And yes, you cannot separate Hamas from the Palestinian people.”
“When they entered [Israeli communities] on October 7, they did not enter Israeli territory; they entered their own land,” she was quoted as saying. “This is their land.”
“The suspect” was taken into custody after receiving the necessary approvals, the Israel Police said.
“After receiving the report, collecting evidence, and reviewing it with the relevant authorities, it was determined that her statements were suspected of constituting the offense of publicly expressing support for a terrorist organization and incitement to commit an act of terrorism,” it said.
“The Israel Police will act firmly against anyone who praises or identifies with terrorist organizations or enemy states and encourages their actions during wartime, whether online or anywhere else, to protect public security,” it added.
Balad chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh, a former MK, said Zoabi’s arrest was “part of the ongoing political persecution of Arab citizens and leaders over the years, especially since October 7.”
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s police officers “seek to act against any voice that opposes Israel’s destruction, starvation, and war crimes in Gaza,” he said. “We will continue to fight for the Palestinian people’s right to freedom, justice, and equality like all other nations.”
Previous cases involving Zoabi
In 2022, the Nazareth Magistrate’s Court sentenced Zoabi to a one-year suspended prison sentence and fined her NIS 75,000 after convicting her in a forgery case aimed at concealing the source of funds donated to Balad.
Zoabi served as a Balad MK from 2009 until 2019. As an MK, Zoabi was known for controversial and provocative actions. In 2010, she took part in the Mavi Marmara flotilla to Gaza, which ended in violent clashes with Shayetet 13 naval commandos who boarded the ship.
Hodaya Ran and Avi Ashkenazi contributed to this report.