Israel installed the first Muslim cabinet minister in its 58- year history on Monday, after the Parliament approved his appointment by a wide margin.

Raleb Majadele's appointment, which the government called a step toward equality for Muslim Arabs, Israel's largest minority, passed by a vote of 59 to 23. Then Majadele was sworn in.

Majadele said his goals as a minister would be "promoting coexistence between the two peoples inside the state and promoting dialogue between the Palestinians and the Israelis toward negotiations and political agreement."

Majadele, a legislator from the Labor Party, said his appointment was meant to give representation to Arabs, who make up about 20 percent of the Israel's 7 million citizens. He has predicted that in the future, every Israeli government will be obliged to include an Arab minister.

"The present government is proud to be the first government to give executive representation to the Arab Muslim minority," said Miri Eisin, a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

The Israeli Parliament has always had Arab lawmakers; today, they number 13 members out of 120. But it has had only one Arab cabinet minister before: Salah Tarif, a Druse, who was appointed in 2001 and forced to resign nine months later under a cloud of corruption allegations.