Nawaf Massalha
Encyclopedia
Nawaf Massalha is an Israeli Arab politician
. He became the first Muslim
Arab
to hold a ministerial position in the Israeli government when he was appointed Deputy Minister of Health by Yitzhak Rabin
in 1992.
, gaining a BA, and worked as a teacher. He is married with five children.
, and was elected to the Knesset
in the 1988 election
. In his first term, he was made Deputy Speaker of the Knesset. He retained his seat in the 1992 election
as a member of the Labour Party (which the Alignment had merged into), and became Deputy Minister of Health in Yitzhak Rabin
's government.
Despite Labour's failing in the 1996 election
, Massalha retained his seat again, as he did in Labour's more successful 1999 election campaign. He was appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in Ehud Barak
's government. However, he lost his seat in the 2003 election.
Arab members of the Knesset
There have been Israeli Arab members of the Knesset since the first Knesset elections in 1949. The following is a list of the sixty-three past and present members. Some Israeli Druze dispute the label "Arab" and consider Druze a separate ethnic group, however they are still included in this...
. He became the first Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
to hold a ministerial position in the Israeli government when he was appointed Deputy Minister of Health by Yitzhak Rabin
Yitzhak Rabin
' was an Israeli politician, statesman and general. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–77 and 1992 until his assassination in 1995....
in 1992.
Background
Massalha was born in the town of Kafr Qara during the Mandate era. He attended Tel Aviv UniversityTel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University is a public university located in Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel. With nearly 30,000 students, TAU is Israel's largest university.-History:...
, gaining a BA, and worked as a teacher. He is married with five children.
Political career
Massalha joined the AlignmentAlignment (political party)
The Alignment was an alliance of the major left-wing parties in Israel between the 1960s and 1990s. It was established in 1965 as an alliance of Mapai and Ahdut HaAvoda but was dissolved three years later when the two parties and Rafi formally merged into the Israeli Labor Party...
, and was elected to the Knesset
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
in the 1988 election
Israeli legislative election, 1988
Elections for the twelfth Knesset were held in Israel on 1 November 1988. Voter turnout was 79.7%.-Results:1 Five members of the Likud left to form the Party for the Advancement of the Zionist Idea; after two returned, the party was renamed the New Liberal Party...
. In his first term, he was made Deputy Speaker of the Knesset. He retained his seat in the 1992 election
Israeli legislative election, 1992
Elections for the thirteenth Knesset were held in Israel on 23 June 1992. The result was a victory for the left, led by Yitzhak Rabin's Labor Party, though their win was at least partially due to several small right-wing parties narrowly failing to cross the electoral threshold and thus effectively...
as a member of the Labour Party (which the Alignment had merged into), and became Deputy Minister of Health in Yitzhak Rabin
Yitzhak Rabin
' was an Israeli politician, statesman and general. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–77 and 1992 until his assassination in 1995....
's government.
Despite Labour's failing in the 1996 election
Israeli legislative election, 1996
Elections for the fourteenth Knesset were held in Israel on 29 May 1996. Voter turnout was 79.3%.The 1996 elections included two new changes, both designed to increase the stability of the Knesset. First, the Prime Minister was to be elected on a separate ballot from the remaining members of the...
, Massalha retained his seat again, as he did in Labour's more successful 1999 election campaign. He was appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in Ehud Barak
Ehud Barak
Ehud Barak is an Israeli politician who served as Prime Minister from 1999 until 2001. He was leader of the Labor Party until January 2011 and holds the posts of Minister of Defense and Deputy Prime Minister in Binyamin Netanyahu's government....
's government. However, he lost his seat in the 2003 election.