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About
Mufid Mari (also spelled Mofid Marai), born on May 15, 1959, in the Druze village of Hurfeish in northern Israel, is a prominent Israeli Druze leader with a distinguished military and public service career. The first Druze soldier to enlist through the IDF's Nahal program, he served in elite units such as Sayeret Shaked and held key command positions including platoon commander and deputy battalion commander in Nahal Brigade Battalion 932, logistics officer in Hiram Division, deputy commander of Etzion Brigade, head of Infantry Branch at the National Ground Training Center, commander of Herev Battalion (1996-1998), deputy commander of Hermon Brigade, and commander of Oded Brigade. Retiring as a reserve colonel (Aluf Mishne), his older brother, Colonel Nabih Mari, was killed by Palestinian gunfire in 1996 while serving as deputy commander of the Gaza Division. He is recognized as the first Druze representative on the Jewish Agency Board of Governors. Following his military service, Mari entered local politics, serving on the Hurfeish Local Council and as its head from 2016, and was elected chairman of the association of Druze and Circassian local authorities in Israel in 2017. Mari entered national politics with Blue and White, securing ninth place on their list for the 2021 elections and entering the Knesset on June 15, 2021, via the Norwegian Law after Hili Tropper's appointment to the cabinet; he served until November 15, 2022. He ran nineteenth on the National Unity list in 2022 but did not return as the party won only 12 seats. Currently, he chairs the Tel Hai College of Engineering in the Upper Galilee (since April 2023) and has held managerial roles in the National Insurance Institute's Security Department and the National Road Safety Authority. His educational background includes a B.A. in Middle Eastern studies from the University of Haifa (1992) and an M.A. in political science and national security from the same university, along with graduation from the National Security College and attendance at the Inter-Service Command and Staff College.