The Mossawa Center, Haifa. Thursday 4th of September 2014. The Mossawa Center strongly condemns the decision by the Israeli court to imprison former MK Said Nafa for his visit to Syria on 2007. This decision is a serious blow to democracy and a targeted attack on the political freedom of representatives of the Arab minority. The legal system in Israel has been influenced by the delegitimization of Arab the community and their political leaders by right wing extremists. Mossawa has warned about this attempt to delegitimize the political participation of the Arab community. Parliamentary immunity is intended to allow elected officials to expand and challenge the acceptable discourse. It is not meant to shelter the corrupt.

The Mossawa Center calls for the appeal of the court's decision and to withdraw both the verdict and the sentence against former MK Nafa. It is important to remember that peace activist Aibe Nathan was also imprisoned and activists Uri Avnery and Anat Aaragusti took a great risk when they too met with representatives of the PLO, which as the time was designated as a terrorist organization. It was Jewish peace activists and Arab MKs that lead the public discourse when the law prevented talks with the PLO.

Arab citizens and their leaders have a unique position and it is important that the political discourse in the Arab community is listened to. This uniqueness how ever has turned from an advantage to a disadvantage due to the Israeli government's refusal to end the cycle of violence and to work towards peace with the Palestinian people and the rest of the Arab world.

It is important to note the double standard in the law. Arab journalists are arrested when they return from traveling to Lebanon, but Jewish journalists like Itai Angel are considered heroes for entering and covering Iraq. It is also important to remember that until recently the Druze community from the Golan was able to travel to Syria to study and to pray and even to export apples.

Former MK Nafa traveled to Syria with several Druze sheiks who were able to visit and pray in Druze holy sites for the first time. This legal decision is a violation of the freedom of religion of the Druze community. In the past former MK Nafa expressed his concern that the prosecution was being extra harsh with him and his traveling companions in order to deter other members of the Druze community.

In the last months leading up to and during the war on Gaza we have seen a deterioration of political action of Arab MKs. Five MKs were even physically assaulted by the police during peaceful demonstrations. Over 1000 Arab demonstrators were arrested and hundreds of indictments were filed, while only a few of those Jewish Israelis who attacked Arab citizens were arrested. Both the police and prosecution discriminated against Arab citizens and now the court has made a mistake in the imprisonment of an MK who is challenging the dominant political discourse.