11 Facts About Issawi Frej

Issawi Frej is an Arab-Israeli politician who served as a minister and was a member of the Knesset for Meretz in 2021 and was an MK for the party between 2013 and 2019.

Issawi Frej is the second Muslim minister in Israeli history, after Raleb Majadle.

Issawi Frej's grandfather was killed in the Kafr Qasim massacre, Frej is the eldest of twelve children.

Issawi Frej served on the secretariat of Peace Now, and was involved in the Geneva Accord.

In February 2022, Issawi Frej was hospitalized in Tel Aviv after suffering a stroke.

Issawi Frej first ran for the Knesset in 2003, and was placed sixteenth on the Meretz list for the elections that year.

Issawi Frej was re-elected in the 2015 elections, after being placed third on the Meretz list.

Issawi Frej was fourth on the party's list for the April 2019 elections, and was re-elected as the party won four seats.

In October 2021, Issawi Frej met publicly with Nasredeen Abdulbari, then the Justice Minister of Sudan, one of the first public meetings between Israeli and Sudanese officials.

In November 2021, Issawi Frej met with Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh to discuss the financial and security relationship between Israel and the West Bank; after this meeting, Issawi Frej predicted that the Palestinian Authority would agree to stop paying monthly stipends to those who have been convicted of terrorism and to the families of terrorists who have killed Israelis.

Issawi Frej is a supporter of the Abraham Accords, stating that he believes the accords offer Israel chances for economic growth; he suggested that further countries would sign treaties normalizing relations with Israel.