Name Joseph Bismuth | Role Legislator | |
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Joseph Roger Bismuth (born 1926) is a Jewish Tunisian businessman and senator. He was elected into the newly formed upper chamber, the Chamber of Advisors in July 2005 and is the only Jewish elected legislator in the Arab world. Senator Bismuth is also a member of the International Council of Jewish Parliamentarians, formed in 2002 as a platform for Jewish lawmakers to cooperate on issues of common concern such as battling anti-Semitism, forging strong interfaith relationships, and working toward social reform. A successful businessman, he founded the Tunisian-American Chamber of Commerce. He is a self-made man. Starting out as a construction worker, Roger Bismuth worked his way into ownership of several corporations. His main holding company is Groupe Bismuth based out of Tunis, Tunisia. He is married to a Danish national, Aase, and they have three children: Stephan, Jean, and Peter. From his first wife Yvette, he has one son and two daughters, Jacqueline, Michelle and Philippe.