Said Nafa
Encyclopedia
Said Nafa is a politician and lawyer. A Druze
Palestinian
Arab citizen of Israel, he is a member of the Knesset
for the Arab
party, Balad.
faith in Beit Jann
in 1953, Nafa joined the Communist Party Maki in 1967. He studied law at Tel Aviv University
, graduating in 1983. In 1989, he was elected to his hometown's local council
as a representative of Maki, and also served as mayor and deputy mayor in the 1990s.
Nafa left the Maki party in 1997, and joined the Arab party Balad in 1999, along with a large group consisting of other members of the Druze community in Israel.
In 2001, he announced the "Pact of Free Druze", an initiative aimed at ending the conscription of Druze into the Israeli army and promoting the community's identity as an integral part of the Palestinian Arab population in Israel and the Palestinian people
at large. Nafa himself is a conscientious objector who was jailed several times for refusing to carry out his army service and four of his sons have also stood trial for refusing to enlist.
Another committee founded by Nafa in 2003 seeks to facilitate contacts between Druze leaders in Israel and elsewhere in the Arab world
, principally Syria and Lebanon.
Prior to the 2006 elections Nafa was placed fourth on the Balad list. Although Balad won only three seats in the election, he entered the Knesset on 24 April 2007 as a replacement for party leader Azmi Bishara
, who had resigned. He was placed second on the party's list for the 2009 elections
, and retained his seat as the party won three mandates.
In January 2010 a Knesset committee stripped Nafa of his parliamentary immunity from prosecution, in order to enable charges brought in relation to a visit to Syria to proceed. In 2007 Nafa had organised a pilgrimage to Syria for 280 people; visits to Syria are banned. During that visit, it is also alleged that he met with members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
(PFLP) and attempted to meet with Hamas
representatives - charges he denies.
Nafa lives in Beit Jann and is married with nine children.
Druze
The Druze are an esoteric, monotheistic religious community, found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, which emerged during the 11th century from Ismailism. The Druze have an eclectic set of beliefs that incorporate several elements from Abrahamic religions, Gnosticism, Neoplatonism...
Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
Arab citizen of Israel, he is a member of the Knesset
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
for the Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
party, Balad.
Biography
Born into a family of the DruzeDruze
The Druze are an esoteric, monotheistic religious community, found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, which emerged during the 11th century from Ismailism. The Druze have an eclectic set of beliefs that incorporate several elements from Abrahamic religions, Gnosticism, Neoplatonism...
faith in Beit Jann
Beit Jann
Beit Jann is a Druze village on Mt. Meron, in northern Israel. At 940 meters above sea level, Beit Jann is one of the highest inhabited locations in the country. In 2007, the population was 10,300. The mayor of Beit Jann is Youssef Qabalan.-History:...
in 1953, Nafa joined the Communist Party Maki in 1967. He studied law at Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University is a public university located in Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel. With nearly 30,000 students, TAU is Israel's largest university.-History:...
, graduating in 1983. In 1989, he was elected to his hometown's local council
Local council (Israel)
Local councils are one of the three types of local government found in Israel, with the other two being cities and regional councils. As of 2003, there were 144 local councils in Israel, these being settlements which pass a minimum threshold enough to justify their operations as independent...
as a representative of Maki, and also served as mayor and deputy mayor in the 1990s.
Nafa left the Maki party in 1997, and joined the Arab party Balad in 1999, along with a large group consisting of other members of the Druze community in Israel.
In 2001, he announced the "Pact of Free Druze", an initiative aimed at ending the conscription of Druze into the Israeli army and promoting the community's identity as an integral part of the Palestinian Arab population in Israel and the Palestinian people
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
at large. Nafa himself is a conscientious objector who was jailed several times for refusing to carry out his army service and four of his sons have also stood trial for refusing to enlist.
Another committee founded by Nafa in 2003 seeks to facilitate contacts between Druze leaders in Israel and elsewhere in the Arab world
Arab world
The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...
, principally Syria and Lebanon.
Prior to the 2006 elections Nafa was placed fourth on the Balad list. Although Balad won only three seats in the election, he entered the Knesset on 24 April 2007 as a replacement for party leader Azmi Bishara
Azmi Bishara
Azmi Bishara , a former member of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, is a Palestinian intellectual, academic, politician, and writer.In 2007, Bishara fled Israel and resigned from the Knesset after being questioned by police on suspicion of aiding and passing information to the enemy during...
, who had resigned. He was placed second on the party's list for the 2009 elections
Israeli legislative election, 2009
Elections for the 18th Knesset were held in Israel on 10 February 2009. These elections became necessary due to the resignation of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as leader of the Kadima party, and the failure of his successor, Tzipi Livni, to form a coalition government...
, and retained his seat as the party won three mandates.
In January 2010 a Knesset committee stripped Nafa of his parliamentary immunity from prosecution, in order to enable charges brought in relation to a visit to Syria to proceed. In 2007 Nafa had organised a pilgrimage to Syria for 280 people; visits to Syria are banned. During that visit, it is also alleged that he met with members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine is a Palestinian Marxist-Leninist organisation founded in 1967. It has consistently been the second-largest of the groups forming the Palestine Liberation Organization , the largest being Fatah...
(PFLP) and attempted to meet with Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
representatives - charges he denies.
Nafa lives in Beit Jann and is married with nine children.