Akiva Nof

Akiva Nof (Hebrew: עקיבא נוף‎‎, born 2 December 1936) is a former Israeli politician and song-writer, who served as a member of the Knesset for five parties between 1974 and 1984.

Born Akiva Naparstek in Tel Aviv 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 the Netherlands 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.