Career
When appointed Minister without Portfolio by Ariel Sharon in 2001, he became Israel"s first non-Jewish government minister. Whilst at university he served as deputy chairman of the student union. 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.
In January 2006 Tel Aviv district court upheld his conviction on these charges and in March he lost his seat again following fresh elections.