List of Arab members of the Knesset explained

There have been Israeli Arab members of the Knesset ever since the first Knesset elections in 1949. The following is a list of the 100 past and present members. Some Israeli Druze dispute the label "Arab" and consider Druze to be a separate ethnic group. However, because they speak Arabic as their first language they are still included in this list.

Current members

Knesset member		Party(s)	Knesset(s)	Notes
Mansour Abbas		United Arab List		Sunni Muslim
Hamad Amar		Yisrael Beiteinu	18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25	Druze
Youssef Atauna		Hadash	20, 25
Yasir Hujeirat		United Arab List	25
Waleed Alhwashla		United Arab List	25
Iman Khatib-Yasin		United Arab List	23, 24, 25	Sunni Muslim
Ayman Odeh		Hadash	20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25	Non-religious (raised Sunni Muslim)
Waleed Taha		United Arab List	22, 23, 24, 25
Ahmad Tibi		Ta'al	15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25	Sunni Muslim
Aida Touma-Suleiman		Hadash	20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25

Past members

Knesset member		Party(s)	Knesset(s)	Notes
Ahmed A-Dahar		Progress and Development	4, 5
Afu Agbaria		Hadash	18, 19
Taleb Abu Arar		United Arab List Joint List	19, 20	Bedouin
Mahmud A-Nashaf		Agriculture and Development	4
Hamad Abu Rabia		Arab List for Bedouins and Villagers Alignment United Arab List	8, 9
		Cooperation and Brotherhood	4
Jabar Asakla		Joint List	22, 23	Druze
Assad Assad		Likud	13
Shafik Assad		Dash Democratic Movement Ahva Telem	9
Zeidan Atashi		Shinui	9, 11
Juma Azbarga		Joint List	20	Bedouin
Mohammad Barakeh		Hadash	15, 16, 17, 18, 19	Former Deputy Knesset speaker
Zouheir Bahloul		Zionist Union	20	Sunni Muslim^[1]
Rostam Bastuni		Mapam	2
Azmi Bishara		Balad	14, 15, 16, 17
Ahmed Dabbah		Kadima	18
Abdulwahab Darawshe		Alignment Arab Democratic Party	11, 12, 13, 14
Abdulmalik Dehamshe		United Arab List	14, 15, 16	Deputy Knesset speaker
Yussef Diab		Cooperation and Brotherhood	4
Seif el-Din el-Zoubi		Democratic List of Nazareth Democratic List for Israeli Arabs Progress and Development Cooperation and Development Alignment United Arab List	1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9,
Hussein Faris		Mapam	12
Issawi Frej		Meretz	19, 20, 21, 24	Sunni Muslim^[2]
Basel Ghattas		Balad Joint List	19, 20	Christian
Mazen Ghanaim		Ra'am	24
Masud Ghnaim		United Arab List Joint List	18, 19, 20	Sunni Muslim
Emile Habibi		Maki Rakah	2, 3, 5, 6, 7
Haneh Hadad		Labor Party	13	Christian
Rafik Haj Yahia		One Nation Labor Party	14
Walid Haj Yahia		Left Camp of Israel Meretz	9, 13, 14
Faras Hamdan		Agriculture and Development	2, 3
Yussuf Hamis		Mapam	3, 4, 5
Said al-Harumi		Joint List Ra'am	20, 22, 23, 24	Bedouin
Salah-Hassan Hanifes		Progress and Work	2, 3	Druze
Akram Hasson		Kadima Kulanu	18, 20	Druze
Nadia Hilou		Labor Party	17	Christian
Ibrahim Hijazi		Joint List	20	Sunni Muslim
Halil-Salim Jabara		Ahdut HaAvoda	5
Hussniya Jabara		Meretz	15	First female Arab MK
Yousef Jabareen		Joint List Hadash-Ta'al Joint List	20, 21, 22, 23	Sunni Muslim
Amin-Salim Jarjora		Democratic List of Nazareth	1
Muhamad Kanan		United Arab List Arab National Party	15
Masaad Kassis		Democratic List for Israeli Arabs	2, 3	Melkite
Ayoob Kara		Likud	15, 16, 18, 20	Druze, Former Deputy Knesset speaker
Hamad Khalaily		Alignment	10
Tawfik Khatib		United Arab List Arab National Party	14, 15
Raleb Majadele		Labour	16, 17, 18, 19	First Muslim Arab Minister. Minister without Portfolio (2007), Minister of Science, Culture and Sport (2007–2009)
Hashem Mahameed		Hadash Balad United Arab List National Unity – National Progressive Alliance	12, 13, 14, 15
Issam Makhoul		Hadash	15, 16
Ibtisam Mara'ana		Labour	24
Mufid Mari		Blue and White	24	Druze
Abdullah Abu Ma'aruf		Joint List	20	Druze
Nawaf Massalha		Alignment Labor Party One Israel	12, 13, 14, 15	Deputy Minister, Deputy Knesset speaker
Mohammed Miari		Progressive List for Peace	11, 12
Jabr Moade		Democratic List for Israeli Arabs Cooperation and Brotherhood Cooperation and Development Druze Party Progress and Development Alignment United Arab List	2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9	Deputy Minister, Druze
Gadeer Mreeh		Blue and White Yesh Atid-Telem	21, 22, 23	Druze
Fateen Mulla		Likud	21, 23, 24	Druze
Hanna Mwais		Hadash	9
Mohamed Naffa		Hadash	12	Druze
Said Nafa		Balad	17, 18	Druze
Elias Nakhleh		Progress and Development Cooperation and Development Jewish-Arab Brotherhood Cooperation and Brotherhood	4, 5, 6, 7
Amal Nasser el-Din		Likud	8, 9, 10, 11	Druze
Diyab Obeid		Cooperation and Brotherhood	5, 6, 7
Niven Abu Rahmoun		Joint List	20
Saleh Saad		Zionist Union	20	Druze
Osama Saadi		Joint List Hadash-Ta'al Joint List	20, 21, 22, 23, 24	Sunni Muslim
Ahmad Sa'd		Hadash	14
Ali Salalha		Meretz	24	Druze
Taleb el-Sana		Arab Democratic Party United Arab List	13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18	Bedouin
Sondos Saleh		Joint List	23
Saleh Saleem		Hadash	13, 14
Ibrahim Sarsur		United Arab List	17, 18, 19	Sunni Muslim
Mtanes Shehadeh		Ra'am–Balad Joint List	21, 22, 23	Christian
Sami Abu Shehadeh		Joint List	22, 23, 24
Shachiv Shnaan		Labour Independence	17, 18	Druze
Saleh Suleiman		Progress and Work	3
Hana Sweid		Hadash	17, 18, 19	Christian
Wasil Taha		Balad	16, 17
Salah Tarif		Alignment Labor Party One Israel	12, 13, 14, 15, 16	First Arab Minister (Minister without Portfolio), also Deputy Knesset speaker, Druze
Tawfik Toubi		Maki Rakah Hadash	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12	Second longest serving Knesset member (41 years, 5 months and 9 days) after Shimon Peres
Wael Younis		Joint List	20
Majalli Wahabi		Likud Kadima Hatnuah	16, 17, 18	Druze, Former Deputy Knesset speaker, briefly acting President
Muhammed Wattad		Alignment Mapam Hadash	10, 11
Abd al-Hakim Hajj Yahya		Joint List Ra'am–Balad	20, 21	Sunni Muslim
Heba Yazbak		Ra'am–Balad Joint List	21, 22, 23	Sunni Muslim
Jamal Zahalka		Balad Joint List	16, 17, 18, 19, 20
Abbas Zakour		United Arab List	17
Tawfiq Ziad		Rakah Hadash
Haneen Zoabi		Balad Joint List	18, 19, 20	Sunni Muslim.^[3] First Arab woman elected to the Knesset on an Arab party's list.
Abd el-Aziz el-Zoubi		Mapam Alignment	6, 7, 8	First Arab Deputy Minister
Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi		Meretz	24

See also

• List of Arab citizens of Israel

External links

• Knesset members Knesset website

Notes and References

1. http://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-arab-sportscaster-to-get-into-game-from-inside-knesset/ Israeli Arab sportscaster to get into game from inside Knesset
2. http://www.algemeiner.com/2014/01/27/international-holocaust-remembrance-day-marked-by-54-knesset-members-at-auschwitz/ International Holocaust Remembrance Day Marked by 54 Knesset Members at Auschwitz
3. News: Voice of equality. The Age. 16 May 2009. Jason Koutsoukis. My parents are Muslims. They pray, they fast, they have been to Mecca, but they raised their children to think and feel as liberal, open-minded people..