Hatem Ishaq Husseini (1941–December 27, 1994) was a Palestinian educationist, academic and President of Al-Quds University.[1][2] He was the first President of Al-Quds University.

Early life

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Husseini was born in 1941 in Jerusalem. His father was Ishak and mother was Ulwiya Husseini.[3] His family was forced to flee to Aleppo, Syria in March 1948 during the Nakba.[3] He moved with his family to Beirut after his father got a job at the American University of Beirut.[3] They moved to Cairo after his father got a job at the American University in Cairo.[3] His parents invested their lifesavings to build a home in East Jerusalem but that was stopped by the Six-Day War.[3]

Husseini studied at the American University of Beirut and graduated from the American University in Cairo with a bachelor in economics.[3] He completed an MBA at the University of Rhode Island.[3] He completed his PhD at the University of Massachusetts in 1969.[3]

Career

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Husseini taught at Shaw University, Smith College, and the University of Maryland.[3] He gave a lecturer at Duke University.[3] He wrote The Palestine Problem and Toward Peace in Palestine in 1974.[3] He was a member of the Organization of Arab Students.[4] On 24 April 1976, he wrote an opinion piece, Yearning for Palestine, for the New York Times in which he called for peaceful future for Arabs and Jews.[5] He joined the Fatah party and in 1977 he became a member of the Palestinian National Council.[3][6] He was appointed director of the League of Arab States office in Washington, DC.[3] He founded the Palestinian Information Office in Washington DC in 1978 to represent Palestinian interests in America and improve ties.[3][7]

Husseini became deputy director of the Permanent Observer Mission of the State of Palestine to the United Nations.[3][8] In 1983, he hosted Charlie Bitton, Israeli member of parliament, at a luncheon in New York City.[9] In 1993, he returned to Jerusalem to become the President of Al-Quds University.[3] He attempted to combine four colleges under the University but was denied permission by the Israeli government who deemed it illegal and issued four different licenses.[10]

Personal life

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Husseini was married to Rabee'a.[11]

Death

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Husseini died on 27 December 1994 in Jerusalem from cancer.[3]

References

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  1. ^ "DEATHS". Washington Post. 6 January 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  2. ^ "AIPAC National Political Leadership Training Seminar Briefing Materials". Journal of Palestine Studies. 15 (1): 114–117. 1985-10-01. doi:10.2307/2536580. ISSN 0377-919X. JSTOR 2536580.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "Hatem Ishaq Husseini". www.jerusalemstory.com. 2022-11-02. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  4. ^ Pennock, Pamela E. (2017-02-07). The Rise of the Arab American Left: Activists, Allies, and Their Fight against Imperialism and Racism, 1960s–1980s. UNC Press Books. p. 53. ISBN 978-1-4696-3099-1.
  5. ^ Hussaini, Hatem (1976-04-24). "Yearning for Palestine". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  6. ^ "Hatem al-Husseini, 54, a Palestinian academic and…". Baltimore Sun. 1994-12-28. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  7. ^ "Hatem Hussaini | C-SPAN.org". www.c-span.org. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  8. ^ Gribetz, Jonathan Marc (2024-07-09). Reading Herzl in Beirut: The PLO Effort to Know the Enemy. Princeton University Press. p. 222. ISBN 978-0-691-17680-2.
  9. ^ "ISRAELI, AT LUNCH WITH P.L.O., SUPPORTS A PALESTINIAN STATE". The New York Times. 1983-01-08. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  10. ^ "Hatem Husseini, Palestinian educator dies - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  11. ^ Madsen, Ann Nicholls (2003). Making Their Own Peace: Twelve Women of Jerusalem. Lantern Books. p. 78. ISBN 978-1-59056-047-1.