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Portrait of George Habash

George Habash

Revolutionary leader, PFLP founder, influential figure in Palestinian struggle.

Born
2 August 1926
Born in
Lydd, Palestine

Why George is here

George Habash played a pivotal role in the Palestinian resistance movement. As the founder of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), he was a significant figure in the Arab nationalist movement and the Palestinian struggle against Israeli occupation. His strategies and ideologies significantly impacted the political landscape of the Middle East, especially regarding the Palestinian cause.

Their story

George Habash (1926–2008) was born in Lydda. In 1948, as a medical student at the American University of Beirut, he returned home and was driven out with his family in the Lydda Death March, in which his sister died.

He worked as a doctor in refugee camps in Jordan, co-founded the Arab Nationalist Movement, and in 1967 founded the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which he led until 2000. Known as al-Hakim, "the doctor", he died in Amman in 2008.

Milestones

The moments that shaped George’s path.

  1. 1948

    Forcibly expelled from Lydd in the Nakba by the Israeli occupation.

  2. 1952

    Founded the Arab Nationalists' Movement.

  3. 1967

    Establishment of the PFLP after the Six-Day War.

  4. 1970

    Orchestrated the hijacking of several airliners to Jordan.

  5. 1980

    Suffered a stroke, leading to partial paralysis and reduced political activity.

Legacy

What they built, changed and left behind.

  1. Advocating for the unified Arab response to the liberation of Palestine.

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  2. Highlighting the Palestinian cause through high-profile airplane hijackings.

  3. Forming the Rejectionist Front, opposing the two-state solution.

  4. Influencing the Arab political stage and Palestinian resistance strategies.

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George in interviews, talks and coverage.

Further reading

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