Education
Born in Nazareth during the Mandate era, el-Zoubi was educated at a local high school, before attending the Arab College in Jerusalem.
journalist minister politician
Born in Nazareth during the Mandate era, el-Zoubi was educated at a local high school, before attending the Arab College in Jerusalem.
He worked as a tax clerk for the Mandate authorities, and following Israeli independence in 1948, worked as a clerk for the Israel Lands Authority until 1958. He also served as secretary of the Government Workers Union in Nazareth. In 1956 he helped organise the Jewish Arab Association for Peace and Equal Rights, and was amongst the founders of the Arab Institute at Givat Haviva.
In 1958 he joined Mapam, and in 1961 was appointed deputy mayor of Nazareth.
In 1965 he became the city"s mayor, holding the post until the following year. He was re-elected in 1969 on the Alignment list (an alliance of the Labor Party and Mapam), and on 24 May 1971 was appointed Deputy Minister of Health in Yitzhak Rabin"s government.
He retained his seat in the 1973 elections, but died less than a month after the Knesset reconvened. His seat was taken by Haviv Shimoni.
Outside politics el-Zoubi was also involved in various publications. He was a member of the editorial board of New Outlook, edited the al Fajar monthly magazine, and was one of the editors of the al Mersad weekly newspaper. His extended family includes Seif el-Din el-Zoubi, who also served as a member of the Knesset for several parties and mayor of Nazareth, and cousin Haneen Zoubi, who is currently a Knesset member for Balad.
When appointed Deputy Minister of Health on 24 May 1971, he became the first non-Jewish member of an Israeli government.