Career
Two years later he was elected to the Knesset as leader of the Progress and Work list, which was allied to Mapai, the ruling party. He was re-elected in 1955. In 1959 a dispute with Mapai led to Hanifes setting up a new party, the Independent Faction for Israeli Arabs, to run in the elections that year.
He died in 2002 at the age of 89.