Issam Makhoul
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Issam Makhoul (born July 18, 1952) is an Israeli Arab sociologist and politician, formerly a member of the Hadash Movement (Democratic Front for Peace and Equality) in Israel's parliament, the Knesset. He is a central committee member and general secretary of the Communist Party of Israel. In late 2003, he was the target of a failed assassination attempt, when a car bomb exploded beneath his vehicle as his wife was backing it out of their driveway.
Makhoul is from Haifa, in the Haifa District of Israel.
Political career
Knesset activities
Issam has been an active critic of Israel's nuclear weapons program, and in 2000 was the first Knesset member to attempt a break in Israel's "nuclear ambiguity" policy by prompting an open debate on Israel's atomic program. He is also a supporter of Mordechai Vanunu, the former Israeli nuclear technician imprisoned for revealing details of Israel's nuclear weapons program to the British press in 1986, and has called for Vanunu's release on several occasions.Assassination attempt
On October 24, 2003, Makhoul and his wife (Suad Makhoul) were preparing to leave their home in central Haifa; Makhoul took his Knesset-supplied Ford, and his wife took their personal Honda, Makhoul's primary transportation prior to Knesset service. Makhoul reversed the Ford out of the driveway, and his wife started the engine of the Honda, intending to pick up their twin children from school. The Honda's ignition sparked an explosion, flooding the vehicle in flames. Suad Makhoul escaped the blast unhurt.In May 2005, two young Jewish men (Alexander Rabinovitch and Eliran Golan) were convicted of obtaining explosive materials for criminal purposes. The two were conspiring to murder prominent Arab figures in Haifa, including Makhoul.
External links
- [Knesset Member, Issam Makhoul], Knesset directory
- [MK's wife unhurt after bomb explodes under her car], October 25, 2003, Haaretz News
- [Jewish terror suspect convicted], May 24, 2005, YediothNet News
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