Career
In 1985, he became head of I"billin local council, a position he held until 2008. However, he entered the Knesset on 5 July 1994 as a replacement for the deceased Tawfiq Ziad. After being placed second on the joint Hadash-Balad list, he was re-elected in the 1996 elections and was appointed Deputy Speaker of the Knesset.