UpdateBot at 17:51, 4 February 2022

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[[Sheikh]] '''Abdullah Nimar Darwish''' (1948 – 14 May 2017) was the founder of the [[Islamic Movement in Israel]].

== Biography ==
Darwish was born in [[Kafr Qasim]] in 1948. After completing his religious studies in [[Nablus]], he returned to Kafr Qasim and began advocating a return to [[Islam]] and Islamic tradition, and subsequently established the [[Islamic Movement in Israel]] in 1971.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lieber |first1=Dov |title=Founder of Israel's Islamic Movement Dies at 69 |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/founder-of-israels-islamic-movement-dies-at-69/ |publisher=The Times of Israel |date=May 14, 2017}}</ref>

In 1979, Darwish established an [[Resistance movement|underground organization]] called ''Usrat al-Jihad'' ("The Family of Jihad"), whose goal was to establish "an Arab Islamic state in Palestine." Usrat al-Jihad attempted to burn down an Israeli textile factory, set fire to forests, and was involved in the death of a suspected Israeli collaborator.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Rubin |first1=Lawrence |title=Islamic Political Activism in Israel |journal=The Saban Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings |date=April 2014 |issue=32 |url=https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Rubin-web-FINAL.pdf}}</ref> Two years later, he was arrested together with several accomplices, and convicted of membership in a [[Terrorism|terrorist]] organization. He remained in prison until 1985, when he was freed as part of the [[Jibril Agreement]] between the government of Israel and the [[Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tau.ac.il/jcss/sa/v2n4p5.html |publisher=Tel-Aviv University |work=Jaffe Center for Strategic Studies: Strategic Assessment |title=The Islamic Movement in Israel |date=February 2000 |accessdate=2008-04-29 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071024142700/http://www.tau.ac.il/jcss/sa/v2n4p5.html |archivedate=October 24, 2007 }}</ref>

==Positions==

Following his 1985 release, Sheikh Darwish became publicly active and began to express opposition to [[Arab citizens of Israel|Israeli Arabs]] taking part in violent behavior. In 1992, he explicitly condemned the killing of three Israeli soldiers by an Israeli Arab group.<ref>{{cite news| work=New York Times | title=4 Israeli Arabs Are Held in Ax Killing of 3 Soldiers |author=Clyde Haberman|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CEEDD1E3CF936A35750C0A964958260 | accessdate=2008-04-29 | date=1992-03-05}}</ref> Following the [[Oslo Accords]], the Islamic Movement Darwish had founded split between a group (in the north of Israel), led by Darwish's protégé [[Raed Salah|Sheikh Raed Salah]], that opposed the agreement and one led by Darwish (in the south of Israel) that supported it and wanted to participate in the Israeli political process.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Founder of Islamic Movement in Israel, Abdallah Nimr Darwish, dies at 69|url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/founder-of-islamic-movement-in-israel-dies-at-69-1.5471950|access-date=2021-07-04|website=Haaretz.com|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|last=Boxerman|first=Aaron|title=How Islamist Ra’am broke Arab politics and may win the keys to the government|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/how-islamist-raam-broke-arab-politics-and-may-win-the-keys-to-the-government/|access-date=2021-07-04|website=www.timesofisrael.com|language=en-US}}</ref>

In later life, he continued as the spiritual leader of the Southern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel. In partnership with Rabbi [[Michael Melchior]], he played an important role in setting up a major interfaith meeting in [[Alexandria]], Egypt in 2002, during the [[Second Intifada]];<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Kingsley|first=Patrick|date=2021-07-04|title=As Secular Peace Effort Stutters in Israel, Religious Mediators Hope to Step In|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/04/world/Israel-peace-islamists-raam-party.html|access-date=2021-07-04|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> this group produced a joint declaration rejecting murder in the name of God and pledging a joint quest for peace.<ref name=":0" /> Darwish founded the Adam Centers for Dialogue Between Religions and Civilizations, and, with Rabbi Melchior, founded the [[Religious Peace Initiative]], both of which arranges for interfaith dialogue between Muslims, Jews and Christians.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|title=The Pursuit of Religious Peace in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict|url=https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-pursuit-of-religious-peace-in-the-israeli-palestinian-conflict/|access-date=2021-07-04|website=blogs.timesofisrael.com|language=en-US}}</ref> This network worked behind the scenes to ease inter-communal tensions in [[Acre, Israel|Acre]] in 2008, and to prevent inter-communal violence in 2014, when [[Eid al-Fitr|Eid]] and [[Yom Kippur]] occurred on the same day.<ref name=":0" />

He expressed a commitment to the [[rule of law]], and to integration into the State of Israel and its institutions. In a 2001 Israeli newspaper interview, he said:

<blockquote>
''Whoever establishes a movement that is based on violation of the law, does not represent us. However, in the [[West Bank]] and [[Gaza Strip|Gaza]] there is no rule of law, there is an occupation which must be eliminated, and not a state which must be respected. Therefore, I understand the [[Palestinian people|Palestinians]] or the [[Lebanese people|Lebanese]], which are rising up in any way they can... If I were being occupied, I too would rise up, but the moment I decided that I am a part of the state as long as I am within the borders of the [[Green Line (Israel)|Green Line]], I obey the law, together with my representatives in the [[Knesset]], and this is proof that I do recognize the State of Israel. This despite the fact that I too feel as though I am under mental occupation, but the world does not see that.''<ref>{{cite news| publisher=Iton Tel-Aviv (In Hebrew) | title=In the Name of the Qu'ran |author=Eti Abramov}}</ref>
</blockquote>In 2007, Darwish won praise for being the first Muslim leader to speak at the Global Forum for Combatting Anti-Semitism.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|title=Founder of Islamic Movement in Israel slams Holocaust denial|url=https://www.haaretz.com/1.4805376|access-date=2021-07-04|website=Haaretz.com|language=en}}</ref> During his speech there, to criticize Iranian President [[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad]] for denying the Holocaust, saying: Tell all who deny the Holocaust to ask the Germans what they did or did not do".<ref name=":3" /> Acknowledging that is was difficult for him to appear at the event because of the negative responses he would receive from clerical colleagues across the Muslim world, he denounced anti-semitism as not expressing the true spirit of Islam; he also criticized the Israeli government's refusal to participate in peace talks sponsored by [[Saudi Arabia]] that included [[Hamas]] and [[Fatah]].<ref name=":3" />

In 2015, Darwish and Melchior condemned the [[2015 Copenhagen shootings|2015 terror attacks]] in Denmark, Copenhagen.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Prominent Israeli-Danish rabbi: Answer to terror is to fight it wherever it is|url=https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/.premium-answer-to-terror-is-to-fight-it-1.5307823|access-date=2021-07-04|website=Haaretz.com|language=en}}</ref>

=== Legacy ===
The current leader of [[United Arab List|Ra'am]], [[Mansour Abbas]], is a disciple of Darwish;<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /> Abbas has said: "Everything I do today I absorbed from the legacy of Sheikh Abdullah Nimr Darwish."<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title='It's Possible to Do Things Differently.' The Arab Kingmaker Who Joined Israel's Far-Right to Oust Netanyahu|url=https://time.com/6073019/mansour-abbas-arab-israel-coalition-government/|access-date=2021-07-04|website=Time|language=en}}</ref> Abbas's decision to support a coalition government in 2021 has been credited to Darwish's belief that political participation in the Israeli state would help improve the lives of Palestinians in Israel and further the aim of Israeli-Palestinian peace; Abbas said that it was at Darwish's funeral that he realized he should play a more active role in furthering Darwish's vision.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" />

Sheikh Raed Bader is considered an important spiritual successor to Darwish.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":4" />

==Precedents==
Following the death of his brother in 2005, Darwish made a religious ruling allowing Muslims to [[organ donation|donate organs]] for medical purposes.<ref>{{cite news| publisher=Ynet | title=Religious Ruling: Muslims Permitted to Donate Organs |author=Ra'anan Ben Tsur|url=http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3063330,00.html|language=Hebrew| accessdate=2008-04-29}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Darwish died on 14 May 2017, aged 69.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/145202-170514-founder-of-islamic-movement-in-israel-dies|title=Founder of Islamic Movement in Israel dies|date=14 May 2017|work=i24News|access-date=14 May 2017|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/founder-of-islamic-movement-in-israel-dies/818110|title=Founder of Islamic movement in Israel dies|publisher=Anadolu Agency}}</ref> His friend and colleague Rabbi Melchior delivered a tearful eulogy to Darwish at the funeral.<ref name=":0" />

==References==
{{Reflist|1}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Darwish, Abdullah Nimar}}
[[Category:1948 births]]
[[Category:2017 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Kafr Qasim]]
[[Category:Arab politicians in Israel]]
[[Category:Israeli Muslims]]
[[Category:Palestinian activists]]
[[Category:Islamic Movement in Israel politicians]]

Abdullah Nimar Darwish - Revision history

UpdateBot at 17:51, 4 February 2022