Muhammed Wattad

Muhammed Wattad was born in 1937 in Jatt

Wattad was born in Jatt in 1937, during the Mandate era. He was briefly in the Israeli Communist Youth and then joined the Arab movement parallel to Hashomer Hatzair, where he was chosen for its leadership.

He finished high school in Baqa al-Gharbiyye. He later studied Asian and African Studies at Tel Aviv University.

Active in Mapam, he edited the Arabic version of the party paper Al HaMishmar and sat on its political committee. His play Coexistence was staged at the Haifa Theater in 1970. In 1978 he ran for head of the Jatt council and lost in the second round.

He entered the Knesset in 1981 on the Alignment list and was re-elected in 1984. In 1988 he left Mapam for Hadash over disagreements about its policy, and he lost his seat that year. During his terms he sat on the Education and Interior committees.

Afterward he managed and edited the Kul al-Arab newspaper in Nazareth and later ran a public relations firm. He died in 1994 after a road accident. He was married with 7 children.