Asma Agbarieh

Asma Agbarieh was born in 1974 in Jaffa

Agbarieh was born in Jaffa in 1974 and grew up there. Her family was conservative and Muslim.

She earned a bachelor's degree at Tel Aviv University in Arabic literature and in education and teaching. In 1995 she began editing al-Sabar, the Arabic edition of the Da'am magazine Etgar. She joined Da'am and worked on housing in Jaffa, education and the status of women.

In 2000 she founded and ran the East Jerusalem branch of the Workers' Advice Center Ma'an, which helps workers and the unemployed. In 2002 she moved to its branch in the Triangle, where she worked on employment and youth education projects.

She ran on the Da'am list in the 2003 Knesset election and headed it in 2006, 2009 and 2013, but the party did not pass the threshold. In November 2008 she ran for mayor of Tel Aviv-Yafo and won 0.45% of the vote. She is married to Musa Zahalka and they have a son.