MK Nafaa ignores gov't travel ban, arrives in Syria for a visit - Haaretz

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Fri., September 07, 2007 Elul 24, 5767

Israel Time: 06:00 (EST+7)

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		MK Said Nafaa (Balad). (Tomer Neuberg/jini)

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Last update - 13:58 06/09/2007

MK Nafaa ignores gov't travel ban, arrives in Syria for a visit

By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent

MK Said Nafaa (Balad) on Thursday ignored a ban on Israeli lawmakers from traveling to enemy states and arrived in Syria as part of a delegation of Druze religious officials.

Nafaa's office said the Israeli Arab MK's visit is aimed at strengthening ties between Israeli and Syrian Druze, as well as improving links bertween Israeli Arabs and the Syrian people.

Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit recently rejected a request by Nafaa to allow the delegation make a pilgrimage to the grave of Nabi Habil in Syria. In his response, Sheetrit wrote that "[Security authorities] on all levels refuse to approve visits by Druze religious officials to Syria and Lebanon."

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Israeli lawmakers and citizens are legally forbidden from traveling to Syria and Lebanon, with which it is technically still at war and are deemed enemy states. In the past, MKs and former MKs have been summoned for questioning for visiting Beirut and Damascus.

Police have recently called a number of Druze officials for questioning, including Shikh Namer Namer, warning them not to travel to Syria.

"Why threaten us? Do we live in a police state?" Namer told Haaretz.

Another Druze official, Jihad Sa'ad, was also called for questioning despite his expressed opinions against visiting Syria.

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1.	Let him stay now in Syria	13:53	\|	Mike	06/09/07

2.	Don`t let him come back.	14:19	\|	Avraham	06/09/07

3.	Why not?	15:17	\|	Durzi	06/09/07

4.	Still waiting for leftists to call to enforce the Law	15:32	\|	Binyamin Dissen	06/09/07

5.	Let him come back	15:40	\|	Nik Miller	06/09/07

6.	Do We Live In A Police State?	15:57	\|	Yoram	06/09/07

7.	He should not be permitted to return to Israel, period!!!!!!	16:34	\|	Dafna	06/09/07

8.	To Yoram	16:35	\|	PoliSci	06/09/07

9.	Put him in jail with Syrians.	17:05	\|	Realist	06/09/07

10.	5th column visits enemy state on eve of war?	18:01	\|	bernard ross	06/09/07

11.	Arrest him when he tries to return	19:25	\|	Polybios	06/09/07

12.	I do not see the benefits of all these visits	20:19	\|	Rami	06/09/07

13.	Big deal	22:12	\|	Uzi	06/09/07

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