Akiva Nof
Encyclopedia
Akiva Nof is a former Israel
i politician and song-writer, who served as a member of the Knesset
for five parties between 1974 and 1984.
during the Mandate era, Nof studied international relations, Middle Eastern studies and law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
. He was certified as a lawyer, and also studied at the Institute of Social Studies
in The Hague
.
Nof was a composer of popular songs, and wrote hits for leading performers including HaGashash HaHiver
. His song Isabel was a number one hit in 1972. As a student in Holland in the 1960s, while working as a freelance reporter for Kol Israel, Nof interviewed John Lennon
and Yoko Ono
during their Bed-In
. At the end of the interview, Lennon sang a verse from Nof's song Oath for Jerusalem, which Nof transcribed for him into Latin characters.
Having joined Herut
, he became chairman of the party's youth leadership. In 1965 he left the party to establish the Free Centre
, serving as its secretary and organisational co-ordinator between 1967 and 1969. He was elected to the Knesset on the Likud
list (an alliance of Herut, the Liberal Party
, the Free Centre, the National List
and the Movement for Greater Israel
) in 1973
. On 26 October 1976 he and Shmuel Tamir
left Likud to establish the Free Centre as an independent faction. Both resigned from the Knesset on 22 January 1977, with Nof being replaced by Amal Nasereldeen.
Having joined the new Democratic Movement for Change
, Nof returned to the Knesset following the May 1977 elections
. When the party split in 1978 he joined the Democratic Movement
, before defecting to Ahva
on 17 September 1980. On 28 January the following year he returned to Likud, and was re-elected on its list in the elections later that year
. He lost his seat in the 1984 elections
.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i politician and song-writer, who served as 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 five parties between 1974 and 1984.
Biography
Born in Tel AvivTel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
during the Mandate era, Nof studied international relations, Middle Eastern studies and law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
. He was certified as a lawyer, and also studied at the Institute of Social Studies
Institute of Social Studies
The International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University Rotterdam in The Hague is a unique, independent and international graduate school in the social sciences...
in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
.
Nof was a composer of popular songs, and wrote hits for leading performers including HaGashash HaHiver
HaGashash HaHiver
HaGashash HaHiver |Tracker]]) were an Israeli comedy group. Often called HaGashashim , they are considered a classic of Israeli entertainment and the most influential comedy act in the history of Israel.The three members of the Gashash were:...
. His song Isabel was a number one hit in 1972. As a student in Holland in the 1960s, while working as a freelance reporter for Kol Israel, Nof interviewed John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
and Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
during their Bed-In
Bed-In
During the Vietnam War, in 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono held two week-long Bed-Ins for Peace in Amsterdam and Montreal, which were their non-violent ways of protesting wars and promoting peace...
. At the end of the interview, Lennon sang a verse from Nof's song Oath for Jerusalem, which Nof transcribed for him into Latin characters.
Having joined Herut
Herut
Herut was the major right-wing political party in Israel from the 1940s until its formal merger into Likud in 1988, and an adherent of Revisionist Zionism.-History:...
, he became chairman of the party's youth leadership. In 1965 he left the party to establish the Free Centre
Free Centre
The Free Centre was a political party in Israel, and is one of the ancestors of the modern-day Likud.-Background:The party was created on 29 March 1967 during the sixth Knesset when Shmuel Tamir led a breakaway of three Herut members after a leadership dispute with Menachem Begin...
, serving as its secretary and organisational co-ordinator between 1967 and 1969. He was elected to the Knesset on the Likud
Likud
Likud is the major center-right political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin in an alliance with several right-wing and liberal parties. Likud's victory in the 1977 elections was a major turning point in the country's political history, marking the first time the left had...
list (an alliance of Herut, the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (Israel)
The Israeli Liberal Party was a political party in Israel and is one of the ancestors of the modern-day Likud.-History:The Liberal Party was formed on 8 May 1961, towards the end of the fourth Knesset, by a merger of the General Zionists and the Progressive Party, with the new party having 14...
, the Free Centre, the National List
National List
The National List , sometimes translated as the State List, was a political party in Israel. Despite being founded by David Ben-Gurion, one of the fathers of the Israeli left, the party is an ancestor of the modern-day Likud, Israel's largest right-wing bloc.-Background:The National List had been...
and the Movement for Greater Israel
Movement for Greater Israel
The Movement for Greater Israel was a political organisation in Israel during the 1960s and 1970s which subscribed to an ideology of Greater Israel....
) in 1973
Israeli legislative election, 1973
The Elections for the eighth Knesset were held on 31 December 1973. Voter turnout was 78.6%.-Results:1 Aryeh Eliav left the Alignment and merged with Ratz to form Ya'ad - Civil Rights Movement...
. On 26 October 1976 he and Shmuel Tamir
Shmuel Tamir
Shmuel M. Tamir was a prominent Israeli independence fighter, lawyer, Knesset member from 1965 to 1980, and Minister of Justice in the government of Menachem Begin from 1977 until 1980-Irgun:...
left Likud to establish the Free Centre as an independent faction. Both resigned from the Knesset on 22 January 1977, with Nof being replaced by Amal Nasereldeen.
Having joined the new Democratic Movement for Change
Democratic Movement for Change
The Democratic Movement for Change , commonly known by its Hebrew acronym Dash was a short-lived and initially highly-successful centrist political party in Israel...
, Nof returned to the Knesset following the May 1977 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1977
The Elections for the ninth Knesset were held on 17 May 1977. For the first time in Israeli political history, the right-wing, led by Likud, won the election, ending almost 30 years of rule by the left-wing Alignment and its predecessor, Mapai...
. When the party split in 1978 he joined the Democratic Movement
Democratic Movement (Israel)
The Democratic Movement was a short-lived political party in Israel formed in the aftermath of the spectacular breakup of Dash. Founded in 1978, it lasted only until 1981.-Background:...
, before defecting to Ahva
Ahva (political party)
Ahva was a short-lived political party in Israel, one of several spinoffs created by the collapse of Dash.-Background:Ahva was formed on 8 July 1980 when two MKs broke away from the Democratic Movement, itself a relatively new party, having been formed in 1978 when Dash split up...
on 17 September 1980. On 28 January the following year he returned to Likud, and was re-elected on its list in the elections later that year
Israeli legislative election, 1981
Elections for the tenth Knesset were held in Israel on 30 June 1981. Despite last minute polls suggesting a victory for Shimon Peres's Alignment, Menachem Begin's Likud won by just one seat...
. He lost his seat in the 1984 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1984
Elections for the eleventh Knesset were held in Israel on 23 July 1984. Voter turnout was 78.8%. The results saw the Alignment return to being the largest party in the Knesset, a status it had lost in 1977...
.