Druze former mayor to replace deceased MK

The first and only mayor of a now defunct town in northern Israel will take the Knesset seat vacated by Kadima politician Gideon Ezra, who died Thursday morning.

Akram Hassan, from the Druze town of Daliyat el-Carmel in northern Israel, said he is pleased about gaining the position but was sorry to have lost a friend, Maariv reported.

“It is both a happy and sad occasion for me,” Hassan said. “I have been a personal friend of Gideon Ezra for more than 20 years, but that’s life.”

Hassan was mayor of Carmel City, which was an amalgamation of Daliyat el-Carmel and neighboring Isfiya that lasted from 2005 to 2008.

Hassan, a married father of five and grandfather of three, said he supports the unity government deal signed by Vice Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“I am one of those who support Kadima joining the government,” he said. “I supported Mofaz. He brought a dead party back to life. I think he made the right move.”

Hassan has a master’s in education management and business management. He said he intends to be an active Knesset member and called on other MKs who represent minority groups to address their constituents’ issues, Maariv reported.