Knesset, the Israeli parliament approved stripping an Arab Israeli lawmaker of her privileges for her joining the Gaza-bound relief convoy, Freedom Flotilla.

The Knesset voted in favor of the decision which saw Hanin Zuabi losing her diplomatic passport and the right to subsidized legal counsel in case of a prosecution, wrote Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post.

Zuabi denounced the Knesset for "punishing [her] out of revenge," saying the Israeli parliament "has no idea what democracy is…."

She went on to say, "I represent my views, my party’s views, and the views of all the Arab members of the Knesset."

However, a member of the Likud party, Yariv Levin, told her that "you don’t have a place in the Knesset," and "you do not deserve Israeli citizenship."

She was among the hundreds of humanitarian campaigners to join the fleet on a mission to break the Tel Aviv-imposed siege of Gaza.

Israeli commandos attacked the activists on May 31, killing nine Turks among them.

The assault sent shockwaves across the world and gave rise to global calls for an international investigation into the incident — a demand Israel has rejected.

Following the international outcry, Tel Aviv said it would ease the land blockade on Gaza while keeping the naval surveillance strictly in order.

Zuabi said last month that the announcement of intentions to relax the restrictions "proves that it is not a security blockade, but a political one."

Palestinians, meanwhile, say the situation inside the impoverished enclave has not improved, confirming that restrictions continue to deprive 1.5 million Gazans of food, fuel and other necessities.

(Press TV)