According to Le Figaro, former Knesset member Azmi Bishara, who relocated to Qatar after being suspected of aiding Hezbollah, has become one of the advisers to the Emir of Qatar. He is actively involved in negotiations for the release of Israelis held by Hamas.
An article by George Malbrunot asserts that the founder of the BALAD party "had a significant influence on the wording of the Paris Framework Agreement during the drafting process" before the summit discussing the ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages.
Here's a brief biography of Azmi Bishara:
Azmi Bishara (or Bishara) was born in 1956 in Nazareth, Galilee, to Christian Arab parents. He pursued higher education at Humboldt University in the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). Bishara worked as a lecturer at Palestinian Birzeit University and later headed its philosophy department. He also collaborated with the Van Leer Institute in Jerusalem.
His political career began in 1974 when he became chairman of the "National Committee of Arab Students in Higher Education Institutions" at the Universities of Haifa and Jerusalem. In 1976, he joined the Committee for the Defense of Palestinian Lands.
Bishara is a founding member of the National Democratic Alliance (BALAD) and served in the 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th Knesset.
In 2006, the Israeli government's legal adviser initiated a criminal investigation against Azmi Bishara following his trip to a book fair in Beirut.
Since the spring of 2007, Bishara has been in "voluntary exile" in Qatar. He works as a political commentator for Al Jazeera and heads the Arab Center for Political Studies.
In November 2010, a report revealed that Bishara received over 500,000 shekels from the Knesset in the three years after fleeing to Qatar: 7,248 shekels monthly, along with a one-time allowance of 195,524 shekels.
In 2011, the Knesset passed the "Bishara Law," which stipulates that a former or current member of the Knesset forfeits parliamentary pension and benefits if they fail to appear for questioning when summoned or evade arrest.
