Facebook post published by Lubna Zoabi praising the Border Policemen killers
State worker censured, fined for post defending cop killers
Head of Arab culture department at Ministry of Culture reprimanded by Civil Service Commission for writing on Facebook that gunmen who slew two Border Policemen at Temple Mount in July 2017, were protecting their 'land and Al-Aqsa'
The director of the Arab culture department at Israel's Ministry of Culture is facing disciplinary proceedings after she posted a comment on social media apparently justifying a 2017 attack on the Temple Mount in which two Border Policemen were murdered.
Ha'il Satawi and Kamil Shnaan were killed when three terrorists opened fire at Border Police forces at the Lions' Gate in Jerusalem's Old City in July 2017. The three attackers were shot dead by police.
"To those who say that people's lives are more important than the land, the home and Al-Aqsa, I tell you this: If you rape our land and our home, you and your souls are next in line,” Lobna Zoabi wrote on her Facebook page. “You won’t be able to protect your bodies and your lives if not you can’t protect your symbols, your lands, your children, your identity and your existence with dignity."
Facebook post published by Lobna Zoabi praising the Border Policemen killers
Zoabi followed the post with a picture, also published on Facebook, of two out of the three attackers involved in the 2017 shooting. "The third martyr was killed by live fire during clashes in a village in the occupied Jerusalem," she wrote as a caption.
The state employee was convicted in the Civil Service Commission’s Court of Discipline under a plea bargain for inappropriate behavior and sentenced to a reprimand. In addition, as part of the sentence, her salary was also docked.
As part of the plea agreement, Zoabi also admitted to having caused damage to the civil service and behaved in a way unfitting for someone in her position.
The prosecutor claimed that Zoabi’s actions were grave and said she should have exercised extreme caution before expressing opinions of this nature on her social media. According to Zoabi, she had no intention of causing harm to anyone.
Zoabi also claimed that she is very faithful to her job and that her efforts had led to a positive change in the cooperation between artists from the Arab sector and the Ministry of Culture.
Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev (Likud) called on the Civil Service Commission to dismiss Zoabi with immediate effect.
“Anyone who serves as a trumpet for shaheeds (martyrs) and writes about 'occupied Jerusalem' can not serve in a government ministry in Israel. We have to turn our backs on those who turn our backs on us,” Regev said.
