Jabr Muadi
Encyclopedia
Sheikh Jabr Muadi was a Druze
Israel
i politician who served as a member of the Knesset for seven different parties between 1951 and 1981.
in British-controlled Palestine
, Muadi was first elected to the Knesset in 1951 as a member of the Democratic List for Israeli Arabs
. Although he lost his seat in the 1955 elections
, he returned to the Knesset on 13 February 1956 as a replacement for Seif el-Din el-Zubi
. He lost his seat again in the 1959 elections
.
He returned to the Knesset again after being elected on the Cooperation and Brotherhood
list in 1961
. He retained his seat in the 1965 elections
. The following year Cooperation and Brotherhood merged with Progress and Development
to form Cooperation and Development
. The two parties split again on 1 January 1967, and on 11 April, Muadi broke away to form his own single-member faction, the Druze Party, which he represented until the 1969 elections
.
In the elections he was returned to the Knesset on the Progress and Development list, and on 27 October 1971 was appointed Deputy Minister of Communications
, becoming the second non-Jew to be part of an Israeli government. He was re-elected in 1973
. In February 1974 the party merged into the Alignment
, and on 6 May Muadi was re-appointed to his deputy ministerial post. On 24 March 1975 he became Deputy Minister of Agriculture
. On 8 June 1976 Progress and Development left the Alignment, and the following year merged with the Arab List for Bedouins and Villagers
to form the United Arab List
, the seventh party Muadi had represented in the Knesset. Despite leaving the Alignment, he remained a deputy minister.
He lost his seat in the 1977 elections
, but was due to re-enter the Kensset as part of a rotation deal with other party members. However, after Hamad Abu Rabia
went back on a deal to resign his seat in order for Muadi to take it (a court had ruled the agreement was invalid), he was shot dead by Muadi's sons. Despite threats of revenge, Muadi took his seat on 12 January 1981. He lost his seat for the final time in the 1981 elections
, in which the United Arab List failed to cross the electoral threshold.
He died in 2009 at the age of 90.
Druze
The Druze are an esoteric, monotheistic religious community, found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, which emerged during the 11th century from Ismailism. The Druze have an eclectic set of beliefs that incorporate several elements from Abrahamic religions, Gnosticism, Neoplatonism...
Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i politician who served as a member of the Knesset for seven different parties between 1951 and 1981.
Biography
Born in YirkaYirka
Yarka is an Israeli Druze village in Israel's North District, northeast of Acre.-History:In 1596, Yarka appeared in Ottoman tax registers as being in the Nahiya of Akka of the Liwa of Safad...
in British-controlled Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, Muadi was first elected to the Knesset in 1951 as a member of the Democratic List for Israeli Arabs
Democratic List for Israeli Arabs
The Democratic List for Israeli Arabs was a political party in Israel.-History:In the 1951 elections the party gained 2% of the vote and won 3 seats, which were taken by Seif el-Din el-Zoubi, Masaad Kassis and Jabr Muadi...
. Although he lost his seat in the 1955 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1955
Elections for the third Knesset were held in Israel on 26 July 1955. Voter turnout was 82.8%.-Results:Mapai retained its plurality in the Knesset, although its share of the vote dropped by 5.1 and its share of seats dropped from 47 to 40...
, he returned to the Knesset on 13 February 1956 as a replacement for Seif el-Din el-Zubi
Seif el-Din el-Zubi
-Biography:El-Zoubi was born in 1913 in Nazareth, where he attended high school. During the British Mandate of Palestine, he was active in the Haganah, and later received the Fighter of the State Decoration. From 1959 to 1974 he was the mayor of Nazareth....
. He lost his seat again in the 1959 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1959
Elections for the fourth Knesset were held in Israel on 3 November 1959. Voter turnout was 81.5%.-Results:¹ The General Zionists and the Progressive Party merged to form the Liberal Party....
.
He returned to the Knesset again after being elected on the Cooperation and Brotherhood
Cooperation and Brotherhood
Cooperation and Brotherhood was a political party in Israel.-History:Cooperation and Brotherhood was an Israeli Arab organisation formed to participate in the 1959 elections...
list in 1961
Israeli legislative election, 1961
Elections for the fifth Knesset were held in Israel on 15 August 1961. Voter turnout was 81.6%.-Results:¹ Eight MKs broke away from Mapai to establish Rafi² Herut and the Liberal Party merged to form Gahal...
. He retained his seat in the 1965 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1965
Elections for the sixth Knesset were held in Israel on 1 November 1965. Voter turnout was 85.9%.-Background:Prior to the elections, two major alliances were formed; Mapai and Ahdut HaAvoda united to form the Alignment, whilst Herut and the Liberal Party had formed the Gahal alliance towards the end...
. The following year Cooperation and Brotherhood merged with Progress and Development
Progress and Development
Progress and Development was a political party in Israel.-History:Progress and Development was an Israeli Arab organisation formed to fight the 1959 elections...
to form Cooperation and Development
Cooperation and Development
Cooperation and Development was a short-lived political party in Israel.-History:Cooperation and Development was established on 5 July 1966 during the sixth Knesset, when two of the three Israeli Arab parties, Cooperation and Brotherhood and Progress and Development, merged...
. The two parties split again on 1 January 1967, and on 11 April, Muadi broke away to form his own single-member faction, the Druze Party, which he represented until the 1969 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1969
Elections for the seventh Knesset were held in Israel on 28 October 1969. Voter turnout was 81.7%.-Results:¹ Meir Avizohar defected from the National List to the Alignment² Avner Shaki left the National Religious Party and remained a single MK...
.
In the elections he was returned to the Knesset on the Progress and Development list, and on 27 October 1971 was appointed Deputy Minister of Communications
Communications Minister of Israel
The Communications Minister of Israel is the political head of the Israeli Ministry of Communications and a relatively minor position in the Israeli cabinet. The post was established in 1952, and until 1970 was known as the Minister of Postal Services...
, becoming the second non-Jew to be part of an Israeli government. He was re-elected in 1973
Israeli legislative election, 1973
The Elections for the eighth Knesset were held on 31 December 1973. Voter turnout was 78.6%.-Results:1 Aryeh Eliav left the Alignment and merged with Ratz to form Ya'ad - Civil Rights Movement...
. In February 1974 the party merged into the Alignment
Alignment (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 on 6 May Muadi was re-appointed to his deputy ministerial post. On 24 March 1975 he became Deputy Minister of Agriculture
Agriculture Minister of Israel
The Agriculture Minister of Israel is the political head of the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture and a relatively minor position in the Israeli cabinet. Since 1992 the full title of the position has been the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development , the Development Ministry having been...
. On 8 June 1976 Progress and Development left the Alignment, and the following year merged with the Arab List for Bedouins and Villagers
Arab List for Bedouins and Villagers
The Arab List for Bedouin and Villagers was an Israeli Arab political party in Israel.-Background:The party was created in the run-up to the 1973 elections as an Israeli Arab party associated with the governing Alignment...
to form the United Arab List
United Arab List (1977)
The United Arab List was an Israeli Arab political party in Israel during the late 1970s and early 1980s. It is not connected to the modern day United Arab List.-Background:...
, the seventh party Muadi had represented in the Knesset. Despite leaving the Alignment, he remained a deputy minister.
He lost his seat in the 1977 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1977
The Elections for the ninth Knesset were held on 17 May 1977. For the first time in Israeli political history, the right-wing, led by Likud, won the election, ending almost 30 years of rule by the left-wing Alignment and its predecessor, Mapai...
, but was due to re-enter the Kensset as part of a rotation deal with other party members. However, after Hamad Abu Rabia
Hamad Abu Rabia
Sheikh Hamad Abu Rabia was a Bedouin Israeli politician and a member of the Knesset, best known for being assassinated by sons of another Israeli Arab Druze politician.-Biography:...
went back on a deal to resign his seat in order for Muadi to take it (a court had ruled the agreement was invalid), he was shot dead by Muadi's sons. Despite threats of revenge, Muadi took his seat on 12 January 1981. He lost his seat for the final time in the 1981 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1981
Elections for the tenth Knesset were held in Israel on 30 June 1981. Despite last minute polls suggesting a victory for Shimon Peres's Alignment, Menachem Begin's Likud won by just one seat...
, in which the United Arab List failed to cross the electoral threshold.
He died in 2009 at the age of 90.