Who is Amir Ohana, the President of the Israeli Knesset, Currently Visiting Morocco?

Afaf Fahchouch
Afaf Fahchouch
3 Min Read
Ohana

Amir Ohana, the President of the Israeli Knesset and a prominent advocate for LGBTQ rights, is currently visiting Morocco, a visit that carries special significance due to Ohana’s ancestral ties to the country.

Ohana is the son of Moroccan Jewish parents, with his mother hailing from the city of Ouezzane and his father born in Marrakech, according to a report by the French magazine John Afrique. However, Ohana himself was born in Beersheba. During his visit to Rabat, he paid a visit to a synagogue, mentioning that it was a place where his father used to worship.

This marks Ohana’s first official visit to an Arab Muslim country. He is a member of the right-wing Likud party and has held various ministerial positions in Israel since 2019. He is also known as the first openly gay Knesset Speaker and is actively involved in the global movement advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, heading the LGBTQ+ movement within the Likud party.

Ohana’s background includes service in the military police, particularly in the Gaza Strip, before joining the Israeli Justice Ministry as a trainee. He later worked as a criminal lawyer before entering the Knesset in 2015. Throughout his political career, he has participated in various committees and lobbies, including finance, foreign affairs and defense, gun-carrying policy, and medical cannabis.

As a supporter of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Ohana endorsed the exemption of the former prime minister from corruption charges. He served as the Minister of Justice and later as the Minister of Public Security in different governments.

In 2021, Ohana joined the opposition and was subsequently elected as the Speaker of the Knesset, becoming the first openly LGBT individual to hold this position. His election was met with criticism from certain religious figures and members of the Knesset.

Although not actively involved in LGBTQ+ activism, Ohana serves as an important figure for the community. As noted by Akiva Novick, he represents the progress made in terms of LGBTQ+ representation in Israeli politics.

Afaf Al Fahchouch

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