Rights group asks Mazuz to halt probe into Druze MK who visited Syria
Higher Arab Monitoring Committee group argues lawmaker's visit to Syria part of legitimate political activity.
By Barak Ravid, Or Kashti and Haaretz Service Tags: Menachem Mazuz SyriaA civil liberties organization asked Attorney General Menachem Mazuz to immediately halt the investigation into Balad MK Said Nafaa, over his September visit to Syria in defiance of a ban on visits by MKs to enemy states.
The chairman of the public committee for the protection of civil liberties, which operates within the framework of the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee, said Nafaa's visit falls within the framework of legitimate and transparent political activity.
"This activity stem from the Arab population's basic and natural right to contact and visit Arab countries," he wrote, adding that "the State of Israel seeks to isolate its Arab population from the Palestinians and the Arab world.
Police questioned Nafaa for three hours Sunday, focusing also on his ties to Palestinian spokesmen, who complemented Balad during the party's recent conference in Shfaram against the U.S.-sponsored Annapolis conference on Middle East peace.
Nafaa's office said at the time that the visit, as part of a delegation of Druze religious leaders, was aimed at strengthening ties between Israeli and Syrian Druze, as well as improving links between Israeli Arabs and the Syrian people.
Investigators focused on two aspects, including to extent Nafaa assisted the Druze religious leaders in their visit, as well as his role in arranging passage through Jordan. The second aspect was his meetings with senior Syrian officials, including Vice President Farouk Shara and Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad.
Nafaa, who may be questioned again, said the questioning only strengthened his belief that the investigation into him is politically motivated.
"I am an MK and political figure and it is very important to me to hear what the Syrian administration is saying, and what their positions are on issues such as war and peace," said Nafaa. "It was essential that I meet with them."
The MK added that, should he be charged over the visit, he will forfeit his immunity and be prepared to stand trial.
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Balad MK Said Nafaa. (Jini Archives) |
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that they want,and stay there never allowed to return. In fact pay for their trips to leave. The EU should finance these one way trips.These people are suffering terribly in Israel,and the EU should help them leave Israel.
Since when it is a "basic right" for Israeli Arabs to be able to contact people in Arab countries? That's a right, but being free from rocket attacks from these countries is evidently not a right.
As usual, the law is one way for Jews and another for arabs. Under the current "painful" administration, Jews cant live in Gaza, only arabs (last I heard THAT was illegal in most places - how about a whites only bathroom or drinking fountain?). Arabs can build in the WB, Jews cant. Arabs dont have to serve in the IDF (what would they do there anyways ... id be afraid to give them KP!) Jews who sit and learn get lambasted by the left. Jews must pay taxes, arabs can do as they please. Jews will have to make painful consessions on thier 2000+ yr heritage, the arabs wont (they dont even have a heritage that old). Now this druze wants to go meet his arab buddies in an enemy country... boy, no wonder Israel is in trouble - the guy should be IN JAIL!
From the Jerusalem Post: Nafa's visit to Syria was unanimously blasted by government members, including Deputy Knesset Speaker Majallie Whbee of Kadima, also a Druse, who called the visit a "trip of flattery to [Syrian President Bashar] Assad, initiated by members of the school of [former MK] Azmi Bishara," saying also that it "represents only the extremist, marginal groups and not the mainstream Druse population of Israel."
and they should be monitored and not for being traitors. An Arab can never be a traitor to this country because they dont accept its ligitimacy. They should be monitored because they are security risks.