Azmi Bishara

Who is Azmi Bishara?

Azmi Bishara, a former member of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament and founder of the Balad Party, is a Palestinian intellectual, academic, politician, and writer.

In 2007, Bishara fled Israel and resigned from the Knesset after being questioned by police on suspicion of aiding and passing information to the enemy during wartime, contacts with a foreign agent, and receiving large sums of money transferred from abroad. Bishara has denied the accusations. In February 2011, the Israeli parliament passed the so-called “Bishara bill”, and later voted to strip Bishara of his parliamentary benefits, including his pension of NIS 7,228 per month he received as former Knesset member.

Bishara has written extensively on various topics. He currently is the General Director of the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies in Doha, Qatar, and a member of its Executive Board. He is a citizen of Qatar, in Israel, he is considered a wanted fugitive.