Yasir Hujeirat

Hujeirat is a resident of Bir al-Maksur, a Bedouin village in northern Israel, and belongs to the Hujeirat tribe, described as one of the larger Bedouin tribes of the Upper Galilee.[1] He is married and has six children.[1]

He earned a doctorate in genetics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.[2] He subsequently established a molecular genetics laboratory at HaEmek Hospital, beginning a professional career in scientific research and applied medical work.[2]

Hujeirat's professional record spans medical research, laboratory management, and Arab-sector employment promotion. He headed the research administration and research institute at Ziv Medical Center and, during the COVID-19 pandemic, managed MyHeritage's central coronavirus laboratory.[3] Both roles preceded his entry into national politics.

Beyond the laboratory, he served as chief executive of Al-Fanar, a company focused on promoting Arab employment within Israeli society.[2] He also served one term as head of the Bir al-Maksur local council, from 2008 to 2013, gaining experience in municipal governance.[1]

Hujeirat entered national politics through Ra'am — the United Arab List, an Islamist Arab party founded in 1996 that became the first independent Arab party to join a governing coalition in 2021.[4] In a 2022 interview, he explained that after a period away from politics, he had reached the point where he wanted to influence matters from within the political system.[2]

Ra'am placed him fifth on its list for the 25th Knesset elections held later that year.[3] His profile at the time described a genetics specialist and social activist with deep roots in the Bir al-Maksur community.[1] Following the election, he entered the 25th Knesset as an MK representing Ra'am.[5]

In January 2025, following a reshuffle of Knesset committee chairs, Hujeirat took over leadership of the Science and Technology Committee from Hadash-Ta'al MK Ayman Odeh.[6][7] An April 2026 government directory continued to list him as the committee's chair.[7] A report on the growth in the number of Knesset committees also identified him as chair of that body.[8]

His stated legislative priorities upon entering the Knesset included creating employment and housing opportunities for young Arabs, addressing shortages of positions in the health professions, and helping Arab graduates who had studied abroad but faced obstacles obtaining internship or specialization positions inside Israel.[2]

At Ra'am's 28th party conference in August 2026, Hujeirat was elected as the party list's representative from the national sphere as delegates selected the party's Knesset candidates.[9] Roughly 1,050 delegates participated in the conference, and the party authorized its leadership to assign positions six through ten.[9] A separate report placed Hujeirat fifth in the internal results, while Ra'am's final 2026 candidate slate listed him in sixth place.[10][4]

Hujeirat's career connects scientific research, municipal leadership, employment advocacy, and national politics.[2][1] His chairmanship of the Science and Technology Committee placed a geneticist in leadership of the Knesset's science committee; an April 2026 government directory listed him as chair.[7] His inclusion in sixth place on Ra'am's 2026 slate also demonstrated his continuing role in the party after serving in the 25th Knesset.[4]

After six people in Arab communities were murdered within a single day, Hujeirat asked the Knesset plenum to hold a minute of silence for those killed. The request was disrupted by shouting in the chamber, and he called on lawmakers to act, proposing a demonstration outside the Prime Minister's Office.[11] In a September 2023 radio interview, he called the situation in Arab communities an emergency, urged police to dismantle crime families and fill the enforcement vacuum, and said witnesses feared giving evidence because information could leak. He also said he worried about his children when they left their village.[12]

During a 2024 Knesset debate on a bill concerning deportation of family members of terrorists, Hujeirat opposed the measure, arguing that it amounted to collective punishment. He stated his opposition to collective punishment in both Arab and Jewish society. While agreeing that people who support terrorism should be punished, he insisted that any such law must apply equally to Jews.[13]

On inter-party affairs, he participated in April 2026 talks among Arab parties on a possible joint election slate. When reports suggested the negotiations had reached a deadlock, Hujeirat rejected that characterization, saying: "This was the first meeting. There will be additional meetings to continue the discussion. Negotiations, like any negotiation, are not a smooth process. What matters is the interests of Arab society."[14] He also expressed Ra'am's desire, along with the rest of the opposition, to replace Prime Minister Netanyahu.[14]

In earlier remarks, he voiced concern that a rightward turn in Israeli governance could damage relations within Israeli society and lead to a return to the events of May 2021. He argued for advancing a peace process with the Palestinians and said that, in his view, a Palestinian state alongside Israel was necessary for regional calm.[2] He also assessed that the fragmentation of the former Joint List cost Arab parties approximately 140,000 votes that were effectively "burned" when they ran separately.[2]