Taleb el-Sana
Encyclopedia
Taleb el-Sana is an Israel
i politician and lawyer, and is currently the longest serving Arab Member
of the Knesset
.
in the Negev
, he is an Israeli Arab of Bedouin
origin. el-Sana studied law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
and is a lawyer by profession. He is also active in many charitable organizations in the Negev.
El-Sana was first elected to the 13th Knesset
in 1992 on behalf of the Arab Democratic Party
. Prior to the 1996 elections
the party ran on a joint list with the United Arab List
, with El-Sana retaining his seat. The ADP was merged into the United Arab List soon after. In the 15th Knesset, he served as chair of the Committee on Drug Abuse, and remains a member.
After the 2003 elections he became head of the United Arab List's parliamentary faction. When the party ran for the 2006 elections in a joint list with Ahmad Tibi
's Ta'al
, el-Sana remained head of the overall party. He retained his seat again in the 2009 elections
.
El-Sana is known for his outspoken criticism of the Israeli government, prompting one Jerusalem Post commentator to suggest recently that el-Sana be deported to Palestinian Authority controlled territory just as Abraham Lincoln
deported United States Congressman Clement Vallandigham
to the Confederated States of America during the American Civil War
.
el-Sana is married and the father of five children and currently lives in the Bedouin town of Lakiya
in the Negev.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i politician and lawyer, and is currently the longest serving Arab Member
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...
of 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...
.
Biography
Born in Tel AradTel Arad
Tel Arad or 'old' Arad is located west of the Dead Sea, about 10 km west of modern Arad in an area surrounded by mountain ridges which is known as the Arad Plain. The site is divided into a lower city and an upper hill which holds the only ever discovered 'House of Yahweh' in the land of...
in the Negev
Negev
The Negev is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The Arabs, including the native Bedouin population of the region, refer to the desert as al-Naqab. The origin of the word Neghebh is from the Hebrew root denoting 'dry'...
, he is an Israeli Arab of Bedouin
Bedouin
The Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:...
origin. el-Sana studied law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
and is a lawyer by profession. He is also active in many charitable organizations in the Negev.
El-Sana was first elected to the 13th Knesset
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...
in 1992 on behalf of the Arab Democratic Party
Arab Democratic Party (Israel)
The Arab Democratic Party commonly known in Israel by its Hebrew acroynym Mada was a political party in Israel. Since the late 1990s it has been a faction within the United Arab List.-Background:...
. Prior to the 1996 elections
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...
the party ran on a joint list with the United Arab List
United Arab List
The United Arab List , commonly known in Israel by its Hebrew acronym Ra'am , is a political party representing and supported by Israeli Arabs...
, with El-Sana retaining his seat. The ADP was merged into the United Arab List soon after. In the 15th Knesset, he served as chair of the Committee on Drug Abuse, and remains a member.
After the 2003 elections he became head of the United Arab List's parliamentary faction. When the party ran for the 2006 elections in a joint list with Ahmad Tibi
Ahmad Tibi
Ahmad Tibi is an Arab-Israeli politician and leader of Ta'al , an Arab party in Israel. He currently serves as Deputy Speaker of the Knesset. He was elected on a joint ticket with the United Arab List to serve in Israel's parliament, the Knesset...
's Ta'al
Ta'al
Ta'al is an Israeli Arab political party in Israel led by Ahmad Tibi.-History:Ta'al was founded by Tibi in the mid 1990s. It ran in the 1996 elections under the name Arab Union, but won only 2,087 votes . For the 1999 elections it ran as part of the Balad list. Tibi won a seat, and broke away from...
, el-Sana remained head of the overall party. He retained his seat again in the 2009 elections
Israeli legislative election, 2009
Elections for the 18th Knesset were held in Israel on 10 February 2009. These elections became necessary due to the resignation of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as leader of the Kadima party, and the failure of his successor, Tzipi Livni, to form a coalition government...
.
El-Sana is known for his outspoken criticism of the Israeli government, prompting one Jerusalem Post commentator to suggest recently that el-Sana be deported to Palestinian Authority controlled territory just as Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
deported United States Congressman Clement Vallandigham
Clement Vallandigham
Clement Laird Vallandigham was an Ohio resident of the Copperhead faction of anti-war Democrats during the American Civil War. He served two terms in the United States House of Representatives.-Biography:...
to the Confederated States of America during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
el-Sana is married and the father of five children and currently lives in the Bedouin town of Lakiya
Lakiya
Lakiya, or Laqye is a Bedouin town in the Southern District of Israel.According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , the population of Lakiya was 7,600 in December 2004...
in the Negev.