| Taleb el-Sana | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 25 December 1960 |
| Place of birth | Tel Arad, Israel |
| Knessets | 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th |
| Party | United Arab List |
| Former parties | Arab Democratic Party |
Taleb el-Sana (Arabic: طلب الصانع, Hebrew: טלב אלצאנע, born 25 December 1960, sometimes spelled Talab al-Sana or variations thereof) is an Israeli politician and lawyer, and is currently the longest serving Arab Member of the Knesset.
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Born in Tel Arad 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.[1]
el-Sana is married and the father of five children and currently lives in the Bedouin town of Lakiya in the Negev.
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