Right-wing activist hurls drink at Arab MK Zoabi

An activist with an ultra-nationalist party threw a drink at outspoken Arab MK Hanin Zoabi Tuesday as a political conference near Tel Aviv descended into chaos.

The activist and others also verbally attacked Zoabi, interrupting a Ramat Gan event that was meant to encourage women in politics.

The activist, a 28-year-old member of the anti-Arab Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party, was promptly arrested by police for the assault, Israeli media reported.

According to initial accounts, the activist assaulted Zoabi after an audience member stood up and unfurled a pro-Palestinian scarf.

What appears to be iced tea was thrown at Zoabi during the event. She was apparently uninjured.

The conference was eventually canceled as right-wing and left-wing activists tussled and attempted to shout each other down.

“During the tumult I was elbowed in the stomach and almost thrown down the stairs,” Zionist Union MK Michal Biran said, according to the the Ynet news site. “It was violent and shocking. Both sides came fired up and weren’t able to calm down.”

Video from the event showed Zoabi trying to shout as people and police crowd the podium. Right-wing activists also unfurled posters for the Yisrael Beytenu and Jewish Home parties.

Ayman Odeh, head of Zoabi’s Arab Joint List, said the attack was part of a wave of violence and anti-Arab exclusion.

“The origin of the violence against Zoabi and her staff is the harsh and dangerous statements made by elected figures, who, instead of acting responsibly, incite hatred and anger in an attempt to garner votes,” he said.

The Otzma Yehudit party responded to the arrest, saying: “We regret that the police are creating drama from this event. Zoabi was being provocative and we will demand that they release him [the activist] after his questioning.”

Zoabi, who is running with the Arab Joint List party, is a frequent source of right-wing ire because of her criticism of the IDF and Israel in general.

Yisrael Beytenu and and other conservative parties appealed to the Knesset’s election committee to have Zoabi barred from running in the March 17 elections and succeeded, but a Supreme Court decision overruled that judgment.

Otzma Yehudit Knesset hopeful Baruch Marzel was also banned from the election, where he is running with the Yachad party, though the court also overturned that.

This is not the first time an Arab MK has been was on the receiving end of a beverage.

In 2012, then-MK Anastassia Michaeli from Liberman’s Yisrael Beytenu party threw a glass of water on Raleb Majadele, an Arab Knesset Member from the Labor party.