First Arab gets seat in Knesset defence panel

8220;The chances that I will be a member of the Knesset Foreign Affairs Defence Committee are good. It now depends on the vote in my party, the United Arab List,8221; Sana told Israeli radio.

The appointment of an Arab Israeli to the committee marks a change of policy towards Arabs who were previously excluded from participation in committees dealing with security issues.

Prime Minister Ehud Barak of Labour angered the three Arab parties representing the Arab population in Israel when he excluded them from the coalition. The new premier said, however, that he would include Arab Israelis in Knesset committees. According to Israeli radio, Barak is planning to appoint anArab to chair the committee dealing with drugs.

Israeli Arabs are Palestinians who remained in Israel after the creation of the state of Israel and the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. They account for one sixth of the country8217;s total population of six million.

They are represented in Israel8217;s parliament by the United Arab List, which has five seats, Hadash with three and Balad with two.