Salah Tarif
Encyclopedia
Salah Tarif is a Druze
Israel
i politician who served as a member of the Knesset
between 1992 and 2006. When appointed Minister without Portfolio
by Ariel Sharon
in 2001, he became Israel's first non-Jewish government minister
.
, Tarif served in parachute and tank in the IDF
, before graduating from the University of Haifa
with a BA. Whilst at university he served as deputy chairman of the student union.
Tarif later became mayor of Julis, and chaired the board of Druze and Circassian mayors. A member of the Labor Party, he was on the Alignment
list (largely composed of Labor Party members) for the 1988 Knesset elections
. Although he failed to win a seat, he entered the Knesset on 3 February 1992 as a replacement for Ezer Weizman
. He retained his seat in the June 1992 elections
, and in November 1995 was appointed Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs in Shimon Peres
' government. He was re-elected in 1996
, after which he was appointed Deputy Speaker of the Knesset.
He was re-elected in 1999 (in which Labor ran under the One Israel
umbrella), and in 2001 was appointed a Minister without Portfolio
in Ariel Sharon
's national unity government
, making him the first non-Jew to hold a full ministerial position. However, he left the cabinet in January 2002 when he resigned following the decision to prosecute him on charges of bribery and breach of trust, though he did remain a Knesset member.
He lost his seat in the 2003 elections as Labour won only 19 seats, but re-entered the Knesset in November 2005 as a replacement for Amram Mitzna
who resigned to take over as mayor of Yeruham
. In January 2006 Tel Aviv district court upheld his conviction on these charges and in March he lost his seat again following fresh elections.
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
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...
between 1992 and 2006. When appointed Minister without Portfolio
Minister without Portfolio
A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
by Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon is an Israeli statesman and retired general, who served as Israel’s 11th Prime Minister. He has been in a permanent vegetative state since suffering a stroke on 4 January 2006....
in 2001, he became Israel's first non-Jewish government minister
Cabinet of Israel
The Cabinet of Israel is a formal body composed of government officials called ministers, chosen and led by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister must appoint members based on the distribution of votes to political parties during legislative elections, and its composition must be approved by a...
.
Biography
Born in the Druze village of JulisJulis
Julis is a Druze village and local council in the Northern District of Israel.-Etymology:According to local legend, the name is derived from "Julius," the name of a Roman commander who camped in the area...
, Tarif served in parachute and tank in the IDF
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
, before graduating from the University of Haifa
University of Haifa
The University of Haifa is a university in Haifa, Israel.The University of Haifa was founded in 1963 by Haifa mayor Abba Hushi, to operate under the academic auspices of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem....
with a BA. Whilst at university he served as deputy chairman of the student union.
Tarif later became mayor of Julis, and chaired the board of Druze and Circassian mayors. A member of the Labor Party, he was on 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...
list (largely composed of Labor Party members) for the 1988 Knesset elections
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...
. Although he failed to win a seat, he entered the Knesset on 3 February 1992 as a replacement for Ezer Weizman
Ezer Weizman
' was the seventh President of Israel, first elected in 1993 and re-elected in 1998. Before the presidency, Weizman was commander of the Israeli Air Force and Minister of Defense.-Biography:...
. He retained his seat in the June 1992 elections
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...
, and in November 1995 was appointed Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs in Shimon Peres
Shimon Peres
GCMG is the ninth President of the State of Israel. Peres served twice as the eighth Prime Minister of Israel and once as Interim Prime Minister, and has been a member of 12 cabinets in a political career spanning over 66 years...
' government. He was re-elected in 1996
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...
, after which he was appointed Deputy Speaker of the Knesset.
He was re-elected in 1999 (in which Labor ran under the One Israel
One Israel
One Israel was an alliance of the Labor Party, Meimad and Gesher created to run for the 1999 Knesset elections.-Background:One Israel was formed by Labor leader Ehud Barak in the run-up to the 1999 elections with the aim of making Labor appear more centrist and to reduce its secularist and elitist...
umbrella), and in 2001 was appointed a Minister without Portfolio
Minister without Portfolio
A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
in Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon is an Israeli statesman and retired general, who served as Israel’s 11th Prime Minister. He has been in a permanent vegetative state since suffering a stroke on 4 January 2006....
's national unity government
National unity government
A national unity government, government of national unity, or national union government is a broad coalition government consisting of all parties in the legislature, usually formed during a time of war or other national emergency.- Canada :During World War I the Conservative government of Sir...
, making him the first non-Jew to hold a full ministerial position. However, he left the cabinet in January 2002 when he resigned following the decision to prosecute him on charges of bribery and breach of trust, though he did remain a Knesset member.
He lost his seat in the 2003 elections as Labour won only 19 seats, but re-entered the Knesset in November 2005 as a replacement for Amram Mitzna
Amram Mitzna
Amram Mitzna is an Israeli politician and former general. He is the acting mayor of Yeruham, the former mayor of Haifa and led the Labour Party from 2002 to 2003.-Youth, studies and military service:...
who resigned to take over as mayor of Yeruham
Yeruham
Yeruham is a town in the Southern District of Israel, in the Negev desert. It covers 38,584 dunams and had a population of 9,400 in 2006. It is named after the Biblical Jeroham. The mayor of Yeruham was Amram Mitzna but his term ended in early 2011, and he was succeeded by Michael Bitton of...
. In January 2006 Tel Aviv district court upheld his conviction on these charges and in March he lost his seat again following fresh elections.