Tamer Nafar

Tamer Nafar is a pioneering Palestinian rapper, actor, screen-writer, and social activist, blending hip-hop with powerful messages about identity, resistance, and social justice. He grew up in Lyd, a mixed city of Palestinians and Jews 20 minutes from Tel Aviv, home to one of the largest drug markets in the Middle East. As a teenager, Tamer discovered hip-hop and became the world’s first Palestinian rapper. His lyrics and activities reflect the Palestinian struggle, women’s rights, and the promotion of alternative art within a conservative society.

In 2000, Tamer formed the first Palestinian hip-hop group DAM, along with his brother Suhell Nafar and friend Mahmood Jrere. DAM’s breakout single 'Min Irhabi' ('Who’s the Terrorist?') was downloaded over a million times, making them a powerful voice for a new generation.

In addition to music, Nafar has made his mark in film and theater. He co-wrote and starred in the award-winning film Junction 48, which follows the life of a young Palestinian musician navigating art and resistance. He also played the lead in the theater production How to Make a Revolution, portraying nonviolence activist Issa Amro. In 2022 he played the role of Khaled in the Comedy Hummos Full Trailer one of the most successful movies in Israeli theatre for 2022. Today Tamer is acting in the new theatre play How to make a Revolution by Einat Weizman, playing the lead role of nonviolence leader Issa Amro.

Since 2023, Tamer has been writing weekly opinion columns for Haaretz, +972 Magazine, Germany’s Telepolis, and occasionally The Guardian, offering political commentary from a Palestinian perspective. In early 2026, he is set to release his first English-language EP, In the Name of the Father, the Imam & John Lennon, through the U.S. label Empire. He is also currently working on his 2 novels, which will be released in 2026-2027 - continuing his work at the intersection of culture, politics, and activism.