Politicsמסעד קסיס

Masaad Kassis

Masaad Kassis was an Israeli Arab politician who served in the Knesset for the Democratic List for Israeli Arabs from 1951 to 1959.

1918 to 1989Knesset member, 1951 to 1959Co-founding the Democratic List for Israeli ArabsHeading the Mi'ilya local council

Born: 1 November 1918, Mi'ilya
Died: 25 December 1989, Israel
Occupation: politician
Party: Democratic List for Israeli Arabs

Masaad Kassis was born in 1918 in Mi'ilya

Masaad Kassis was born in Mi'ilya in 1918 to a Catholic family. He studied at the Greek Catholic high school in Haifa and at Kadoorie Agricultural High School.

In 1945 he helped found the Co-operative Tobacco Marketing Association and became its secretary. In 1950 he worked with the Histadrut to set up a co-operative for marketing vegetables.

In 1951 he was among the founders of the Democratic List for Israeli Arabs and entered the Knesset on its list. He kept his seat in 1955 and sat on the Economic Affairs Committee and the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee. In the 1959 elections he was not on the party list, led an independent list instead, and failed to win a seat.

He stayed active in politics and was elected head of the Mi'ilya local council in 1969. In 1976 he was among the founders of the committee for the defense of land in Israel. He died in 1989.