Israeli Knesset Hall. Photo: Wiki Commons.

A new poll by Israeli professor Avi Degani revealed that about 61 percent of Israel’s Arab population believes Arab Members of Knesset do not represent them well, Israel National News reported.

In the poll for Arabs ages 30-55—which asked respondents if they thought heads of Arab parties in the Knesset “represent the interests of the Arab sector in Israel well or badly”—31.4 percent answered “very badly” or “badly” and 30.4 percent answered “so-so.”

In June, Member of Knesset Ahmed Tibi—leader of the Israeli-Arab Ta’al party— called the decision to name a space center after late Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon “distasteful” because Ramon attacked civilians in Lebanon and took part in Israel’s attack on Iraq’s nuclear reactor as an Israeli Air Force pilot. Ramon, the first and only Israeli astronaut, died with six other crew members during NASA’s fatal 2003 Columbia mission.