12 Facts About Tsega Melaku

Tsega Melaku is an Israeli author, journalist, community activist and politician currently serving as a member of the Knesset for Likud.

Tsega Melaku is the former director of Kol Yisrael's Reshet Aleph radio station.

Tsega Melaku then became an MK in 2023 after running with Likud in the previous year's election.

Tsega Melaku was born in Gondar, Ethiopia, and left her family in her native Ethiopia to emigrate to Israel in 1984 at the age of 16.

Tsega Melaku recalls that her first defense of her rights in Israel was to insist on keeping her first name, instead of adopting the Hebraicized "Oshra", a name given to her on her arrival.

Tsega Melaku attended Bar-Ilan University, where she earned a BA in Political Science and Sociology.

In 2008, Tsega Melaku was appointed as director of the radio station Reshet Aleph, the first woman or Ethiopian immigrant to hold that role.

Tsega Melaku is a community activist in Israel's Ethiopian community.

Tsega Melaku was active in 1996 protests against Magen David Adom's policy on Ethiopian blood donations, following the publication of a news story which revealed that blood from Ethiopian Israelis was thrown away due to fears it would contain HIV.

In 2022, ahead of that year's legislative election, Tsega Melaku was given the 37th spot on Likud's electoral list by Benjamin Netanyahu.

Tsega Melaku was not elected to the Knesset as the party won 32 seats, but subsequently entered the Knesset on 9 February 2023 as a replacement for Ofir Akunis, who resigned under the Norwegian Law.

Tsega Melaku is the author of the book Not in Our School, which documents the racism she faced in her effort to have her children attend a better school.