The city of Tamra hosted the opening ceremony of a new Communist Party of Israel and Hadash club on the evening of 14 June, attended by a large local audience, regional residents, and political and public figures, including candidates for the Knesset from the Hadash list.
Communist Party of Israel opens Tawfiq Ziad club
The event was hosted by Comrade lawyer Nidal Othman, who opened the ceremony by stressing that the new club would serve as an open space for political, cultural, and social activity, as well as for strengthening national and community engagement in Tamra.
According to Al-Ittihad, at the beginning of the program, participants marked the first anniversary of the deaths of four residents of Tamra: educators Manar Diab Khatib and Manar Abu Al-Haija Khatib, and her daughters Hala Khatib and Shatha Khatib, who were killed when a missile struck their home during Israeli military operations related to the escalation involving Iran. The ceremony also commemorated five deceased party and front activists.
Political speeches were then delivered by several figures:
- Mariam Awad (Um Abdullah), secretary of the Democratic Front branch in Tamra and member of the Tamra municipality, emphasized the importance of the new club as a platform for national and popular work and for youth cultural and artistic activities.
- Ajaj Shehadeh, secretary of the Communist Party branch in Tamra, highlighted the club’s role in strengthening organized political and social work in the city.
- Muhammad Barakeh, former head of the High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens, spoke about current political challenges, the importance of Arab national unity, and continuing the struggle for rights.
- Amjad Shbeita, secretary of Hadash, addressed ongoing efforts to achieve an electoral alliance among Arab political forces, including discussions around rebuilding the Joint List with its four components.
- MK Aida Touma-Suleiman reaffirmed opposition to racism and fascism and stressed struggles for Arab community rights, women’s rights, and social justice.
- MK Ayman Odeh spoke about current political developments and emphasized strengthening popular organization to end the occupation and achieve peace.
During the ceremony, Muhammad Barakeh, Aida Touma-Suleiman, and Ayman Odeh were honored with commemorative shields in recognition of their political and social contributions.
The event also included Hadash Knesset list candidates: MK Ofer Cassif, Jafar Farah, Dr. Nihaya Washahi, and Iyas Natour. They delivered greetings celebrating the opening of the club—named after the prominent figure from the Communist Party and a renowned intellectual Tawfiq Ziad—and stressed the importance of collective leadership in parliamentary work and continued cooperation with outgoing MKs.
The ceremony concluded by presenting the club’s opening as a step toward strengthening the Communist Party and Hadash organizational presence in Tamra, expanding cultural and political activity, and continuing advocacy for the rights of Arab citizens and broader national and social issues.