Adalah Elects New Board of Directors - Dr. Hala Khoury-Bisharat elected as first woman Chair of the Board

On 16-17 December 2011, Adalah held its annual General Assembly (GA) meeting in Jerusalem. The meeting was well-attended by GA members, including several new members, the Board of Directors and Adalah's staff. A new Board of Directors was elected at this meeting. The new Board of Directors held its first meeting on 12 January 2012 to elect the Chairperson, and members of other internal committees.

On 16-17 December 2011, Adalah held its annual General Assembly (GA) meeting in Jerusalem. The meeting was well-attended by GA members, including several new members, the Board of Directors and Adalah's staff. A new Board of Directors was elected at this meeting. The new Board of Directors held its first meeting on 12 January 2012 to elect the Chairperson, and members of other internal committees.

Adalah's Board of Directors is comprised of seven members, five men and four women, and four returning members and three new members:

  • Dr. Hala Khoury-Bisharat, Advocate (Chairperson). Lecturer in Law, Carmel Academic College; adjunct lecturer in the faculties of law in Israel in international criminal law. Board member since 2007. New chairperson elected in 2012.
  • Dr. Khalid Abu Asbeih. Director of the Masar Institute for Educational Research, Planning and Counseling and lecturer in Politics and Public Administration, the Hebrew University. Board member since 2008.
  • Dr. Masoud Hamdan. Author and theatre critic, and lecturer in Arabic Language, Literature and Theatre, University of Haifa. Board member since 2008.
  • Salma Wakeem, Advocate. Manages a private law office in Nahariya. Awarded the "Women in Law Prize" in 2008. Board member since 2010.

Adalah is pleased to welcome three new Board members:

  • Odeh Bisharat. Spokesperson of the municipality of Yafta Nazareth. Former Secretary General of Jabha/Hadash and currently a member of its secretariat. Journalist and frequent contributor to Ha'aretz.
  • Hussein Abu Hussein, Advocate. Private human rights lawyer since 1976. Founding member and chair of the Arab Association for Human Rights (HRA). Currently representing the family of Rachel Corrie. Published a book entitled, "Access Denied: Palestinian Access to Land in Israel."
  • Khalil Al-Amour. From the unrecognized Arab Bedouin village of Al Sira, a teacher of math and computers in the high school in Kessife (Naqab). Active in the Regional Council for the Unrecognized Villages in the Naqab (RCUV) and the Negev Co-Existence Forum (NCF).

Adalah's Control Committee is composed of two members:

  • Jeries Rawashdeh, Advocate. Works as the academic assistant to former judge Hanoch Areiel in the Academic College in Natanya. Joined Adalah's Audit Control Committee in 2008.
  • Khaled Dagash, Advocate. Private lawyer based in Haifa. Joined Adalah's Control Committee in 2011.

Outgoing members of the Board of Directors are:

  • Dr. Mahmoud Yazbak (Chair). Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Humanities, Middle East History, Haifa University, specializing in 19th and 20th century Palestine. Board member since 2004.
  • Prof. Muhammad M. Haj-Yahia. Professor of Social Work and Social Welfare at the Hebrew University. Board member since 2005
  • Fuad Sultany, Advocate. Runs a private law office in Tira, specializing in defending political prisoners and in land cases. Board member from 2001-2004 and 2007-2011.

Adalah is very thankful to all of our Board members and sincerely appreciates all of the hard work, commitment, and support they provide to the organization.