Fatah congress elects Jewish man to Revolutionary Council

17 Aug 2009

The Israeli Jew Uri Davis, a sociology professor at Al-Quds University in East Jerusalem, has been elected to 128-member Revolutionary Council of Fatah. He is the first Jew ever to become a member of the Palestinian movement’s leadership. Davis was one of nearly 700 candidates.

Davis, who is married to a Palestinian woman, is an outspoken critic of what he calls Israel's "apartheid policies". He called for an international campaign to boycott Israel to be toughened up. Davis said he did not define himself as Jewish but as "a Palestinian Hebrew national of Jewish origin, anti-Zionist, registered as Muslim and a citizen of an apartheid state – the State of Israel".

The election results showed at least 70 new members entering the Revolutionary Council, with members from the Gaza Strip winning 20 seats and women winning 11.. Christian members won four seats.