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Raja Zaatry steps down as Shalabi is named Kalisch-Rotem’s deputy mayor

HAIFA council member-elect Raja Zaatry, whose appointment as deputy mayor has faced far-right government pressures for weeks, has withdrawn his candidacy.

He said that the Communist Party’s Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash) electoral front had decided to appoint fellow city council member Shahira Shalabi in his place.

She will become the first ever Arab-Palestinian woman to serve as a deputy mayor in Israel as part of Mayor Einat Kalisch-Rotem’s team.

Mr Zaatry declared: “I want to tell Einat that she’s a brave leader who can bring change. I know the pressures that were brought to bear on her to kick us out of the coalition and put us beyond the pale of legitimacy.

“I appreciate her courage and believe we will continue to have a brave and real partnership.”

Labour Party member Ms Kalisch-Rotem responded: “Historically, the Arab public was part of the leadership of Haifa and it will continue to be so in our time. The personal war against Zaatry has ended. I won’t let the local Likud representatives, who are angry they didn’t get government jobs, wage war against the Arab population of Haifa.”

Ms Shalabi said: “I respect Haifa’s residents, a city has retained its sanity, one that opposes incitement and racism. The Israeli public wants us. I am pleased to be Kalisch-Rotem’s partner.”

She will serve as a deputy mayor during the second half of the new mayor’s term with Rabbi Dov Haiyun, of Meretz, serving the first half.

Rabbi Haiyun said: “Einat Kalisch-Rotem is standing up bravely to the threats of a Mafia. Threats to withhold government budgets from Haifa are the actions of a Mafia.”

Lifelong communist Mr Zaatry, who is a leading member of Hadash and spokesperson for the umbrella High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel, was accused by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of supporting Hezbollah and Hamas.

Mr Zaatry responded: “I do not support Hamas. I am a communist. From an ideological standpoint, political Islam is no less of an enemy than zionism, in the sense that I perceive it as racist.

“I took part in a panel and someone shouted at me: ‘Say Hamas is a terror organisation,’ and I said: ‘Hamas is a political movement, a popular resistance movement that also contains elements of terrorism’.”

He insisted that he had no intention of apologising for this views.

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