Hanin Zuabi, a Knesset Member from the Balad party spoke to reporters from one of the protest boats attempting to enter Israel off the coast of Gaza despite it being within Israeli territorial waters.

The first Arab female Knesset Member in Israel's history said to reporters:  "I am a citizen of Israel by force. My parents recieved Israeli citizenship not since they wanted to, yet since Israel has shown humanity, and could not expel them. I am not a part of Israel's establishment. I am a Palestinian. Israelis are mistaken if they believe that we will recede in the wake of an illusory peace process and that the intifada will only be an episode of the recent past. A Third Intifada is inevitable."

Her statements approach a day after the Knesset's House Commission debated a proposal by MK Michael Ben-Ari (National Union) to strip several Arab Knesset members, including Zuabi, of their immunity. The proposal was made following a visit by the Arab Knsesset Members to Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi.

Arabs who were born in Israel (excluding Judea and Samaria) have automatic Israeli citizenship and can vote and race for public office. Historically, the State of Israel has always had Arab political parties in the Knesset.

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