Politicsראלב מג'אדלה

Raleb Majadele

Raleb Majadele is an Israeli Arab politician from the Labor Party who became Israel's first Muslim minister in 2007 and served as Minister of Science, Culture and Sport.

born 1953Israel's first Muslim ministerMinister of Science, Culture and SportLabor Party Knesset member

Born: 5 April 1953, Baqa al-Gharbiyye
Occupation: politician, trade unionist, businessperson, human rights defender
Party: Israeli Labor Party

Raleb Majadele was born in 1953 in Baqa al-Gharbiyye

Majadele was born on 5 April 1953 in Baqa al-Gharbiyye to an Arab Muslim family. As a teenager he joined the HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed youth movement and became its secretary. He has a high school education.

He worked in business and served as secretary of the Regional Workers Council. He later headed the Education and Sport department of the Histadrut. He has also been active on Arab rights and local issues in his region.

He entered the Knesset for Labor in 2004, replacing Avraham Burg, and chaired the Interior and Environment Committee. In January 2007 he was appointed Minister without Portfolio, and in March 2007 he became Minister of Science, Culture and Sport. His appointment drew criticism from Yisrael Beiteinu and Hadash, and his refusal to sing Hatikvah also caused controversy.

He boycotted a cabinet meeting in protest of Operation Cast Lead. He lost his seat in 2009 but returned in 2010 in place of Yuli Tamir, and again in 2014 in place of Binyamin Ben-Eliezer. He did not run in 2015.

He is married to Huda and has two daughters and two sons. He lives in Baqa al-Gharbiyye and made the Hajj to Mecca in 2018.