Kara was born in Daliyat al-Karmel, a Druze town near Haifa, in 1955. He went to an agricultural high school in Kfar Galim. He spent a year playing professional football as a defensive back for Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv. He later served in the Israel Defense Forces reserve and attained the rank of major before being discharged for post-traumatic stress disorder. Serving alongside Jews before and after the establishment of Israel has been a source of family pride; his uncle was killed during the Arab revolt in 1939 and his father served in the IDF during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Another uncle was also killed by Arabs then and two of his brothers were killed in action in the 1982 Lebanon War. Following his national service, Kara studied Business Administration. Today, he lives in Daliyat al-Karmel with his wife and five children.