Throughout her university days, Makbula was politically active in her hometown, engaging in activities that continued after her graduation. She was the first Palestinian woman on an electoral candidacy list for the Democratic Front for

Peace and Equality (Hadash), the only legal Palestinian party before the 1990s. “I wanted Palestinian citizens in Israel to see a woman on the stage talking about social and political issues. Although the party itself espoused gender equality, it was not really ready to challenge patriarchy within its ranks. This was one of the reasons that I broke with them in 2000.” Makbula continued to campaign for women’s rights both as a social worker as well as through the Equality in Marital Rights Action Committee, which campaigned for the adoption of laws granting Palestinian women equal access to family courts. In 2004, Makbula was invited as a guest on a talk-show on Radio-al-Shams, and her eloquence and character prompted the station’s owner to offer her the unexpected job of being a radio host. For the past four years she has hosted Kalam Mubashir (straight talk) and later Shababik (windows), both of which have unabashedly challenged chauvinism and racism in Palestinian and Israeli society, with topics ranging from Palestinian rights to headscarves to sexuality rights.