Who is this Mendi N Safadi?

Quoting political leaders, Bangladeshi media said Safadi is an agent of Israeli intelligence agency Mossad. No information was found to authenticate the claim. However, there is no evidence either that he is not a Mossad agent. But Israel and Middle East news media published several articles about Safadi that may help one understand about the man.

Safadi, who is an inhabitant of Israel occupied Golan Heights, is not a Jew but a Druze and he has business in Dubai. US-based public census and research organisation Pew Research Center in 2016 published an article titled ‘Five facts about Israeli Druze, a unique religious and ethnic group’. In that article it was stated that Islam and Hindu religions as well as Greek philosophy is the base of Druze religion and it was incepted in 11th century AD. There are more than a million Druze in Syria and Lebanon. There are Druze people in Israel and Jordan too. In Israel they constitute two percent of total population and despite being a minority Arab, Druze join the army like the Jews. There is a separate infantry battalion of Druze in the Israeli Army which is called Gdud Herev (Sword Battalion).

Mendi N Safadi is a member of Israel’s ruling party Likud. More precisely, he is a supporter of Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel passed the controversial nation-state bill in 2018. Israel claimed itself as a Jewish state back in 1948 but the Palestinians who were living in that area got Israeli citizenship. However, they never enjoyed equal facilities as citizens like Jews. Through the nation-state law, Palestinians are now officially deprived of equal rights. In 2019, Safadi expressed his support in favour of this law in a media interview.

Whether Safadi is influential or not, can be determined by an article published by Arutz Seva. On June 23, 2019, that article titled ‘Why Likud voters should support minority candidates’ described in detail what rule Druze people are playing to save the image of the Jewish state. The first name in the list of influential people was Ayoob Kara. Mendi N Safadi was the chief of staff of Kara who became a member of Knesset (Israeli parliament) in 1999. Kara worked as deputy speaker and chairman of foreign workers’ committee. In 2009, after briefly leaving the Knesset, he was elected back into office under the platform of unifying the Druze and Jewish people. 

From 2009 to 2013, Kara served as Israel’s Deputy Minister for the Development of the Negev and the Galilee and from 2015-17 as deputy minister for regional cooperation. In May 2017, he was appointed as Communications Minister and the article opined his voice in the Israeli Cabinet has truly been an asset for Israel’s international diplomatic efforts.

The same article said, Mendi N Safadi has extensive political experience and he founded the Safadi Center for International Diplomacy, Research, Public Relations and Human Rights, where he works to enhance Israel’s public image in the greater Islamic world.

Safadi cooperated with the forces fighting against Bashar al Assad in Syria and has been active in promoting an independent Kurdistan in the international arena. He has also been fighting to promote democracy, human rights and minority rights in Bangladesh. Due to his international public diplomacy work, he travels frequently to India, Azerbaijan, Europe and the US, said the article.

Earlier on July 9, 2005 Israeli newspaper Haaretz published an article mentioning Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar where it was said Mendi N Safadi played a part in supplying arms to anti-Assad groups in Syria.

During the same time Safadi’s connection with international terrorist organisation Islamic State (IS) was also revealed. Safadi claimed he took initiative to rescue a Jordanian pilot from the custody of IS. But questions were raised about his role in negotiating the release of that pilot and why he even communicated with IS.

The news and social media are rife with speculations about whether Safadi has interest in Bangladesh and what are reasons behind such interest. But Mendi N Safadi did not answer these questions when asked by this correspondent. On 7 June 2016 journalist David Bergman published a write up ‘Bangladesh satire? Of secret meetings in India and a conspiracy with Mossad to oust Awami League’ in scroll.in where he expressed his doubt whether Israel really has any interest in Bangladesh.

But sources who have knowhow about the foreign policy of Israel, believe the country has interest in Bangladesh.  It wants to establish diplomatic relationships with Islamic countries. As part of that policy Bangladesh is also under its radar. Safadi Center for International Diplomacy, Research and Public Relations, where Mendi N Safadi is the director, prepared a report about the terrorist attack at Holey Artisan in Bangladesh. The name of the article is ‘The siege of Holey Artisan café and its impact on the country's future counter terrorism effort’.

The Israeli Corporation Authority introduces the role of Safadi Center as conducting workshops so that Israeli tourists may portray the country positively abroad and work for the rights of minorities in various countries. Although the organisation started its official journey back in 2018, it has never published its financial statement.   

Mendi N Safadi made his Bangladeshi connection through Shipan Kumar Basu. There are several pictures of Safadi and Bangladeshi citizen Shipan in the Safadi Centre facebook page. Through a video message Safadi had introduced Shipan as his spokesperson. But on April 7 this year he put up a post in the Facebook page that states, “It is important for me to make it clear to everyone who knows me and Shipan Kumar Basu from Bangladesh, especially businessmen and politicians.

"In recent years Shipan has used my name to take money from businessmen and politicians, things that I did not know about and was not involved in, made many promises that I did not know about, I want to warn everyone, there is no one who has a mandate to speak on my behalf or make promises on my behalf, if the promises Not verified by me.

I" hope that I will be able carry out activities with the right people in order to obtain the rights of the Bangladeshi people, and be able to bring about the change.”

Bangladesh has no diplomatic ties with Israel. The prohibition of Bangladeshi citizens visiting Israel was mentioned in earlier passports. But recently the government has removed those words. Does that mean the relationship between Bangladesh and Israel is becoming normal? But none of the responsible persons of ruling party Awami League stated anything clearly about the matter.

On January 10 this year the Israeli newspaper Haaretz wrote that the Bangladesh government purchased state of the art surveillance equipment from a company run by a former Israeli intelligence commander. The newspaper published the fact according to the government documents and international export records.

Regarding his meeting with Safadi, Gono Odhikar Parishad's member secretary Nurul Haque Nur told Prothom Alo, he is a victim of conspiracy. The allegation was raised six months ago and none could prove it then. The conspiracies are being cooked to create factions and undermine his party. Nur further said, “I feel one may produce a false statement through lobbying, spending money. As far as I know, he himself also runs a lobbyist firm.”

Earlier, Palestinian ambassador to Bangladesh Yousef SY Ramadan told journalists, we first noticed the fact during the Football World Cup last year in Qatar. Our intelligence sources became interested in it and got photos of Nur meeting Israelis in Qatar, Dubai and India.”

Nur accused the media for quoting the Palestine ambassador wrongly. He further added, “The Palestine embassy is run in favour of the government. He may have been asked to utter such words. He may even uphold the interests of Jews secretly."

* The report was originally published in the print edition of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Syed Faiz Ahmed