Hazem Nuseibeh

Hazem Zaki Nuseibeh (6 May 1922 – 10 April 2022), also spelled Nusseibeh and Nusaybah, was a Jordanian politician and diplomat of Palestinian descent. He was a member of the old Nusaybah family.[1] During his career for the Jordanian administration he served amongst other positions as Minister of Foreign Relations, Ambassador to Egypt, and Permanent Representative to the United Nations. He is also seen as having been one of the most important ideologists of Arab nationalism.[2]

Hazem Nuseibeh
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
January 1962 – April 1963, 1965
MonarchHussein of Jordan
Prime MinisterWasfi al-Tal
Minister of the Hashemite Royal Court
In office
1963–?
MonarchHussein of Jordan
Minister of Reconstruction and Development
In office
1967–1968
MonarchHussein of Jordan
Prime MinisterBahjat Talhouni
Ambassador to Egypt
In office
1968–1971
Ambassador to Turkey
In office
1971–1972
Ambassador to Italy, Switzerland and Austria
In office
1972–1974
Permanent Representative of Jordan to the United Nations
In office
1976–1985
Personal details
Born(1922-05-06)6 May 1922
Jerusalem, Mandatory Palestine
Died10 April 2022(2022-04-10) (aged 99)
CitizenshipJordan
Political partyIndependent
SpouseQadar Masri Nuseibeh
Children4
Alma materAmerican University of Beirut, Princeton University

Early years

Nuseibeh was born in 1922 in Jerusalem, Mandatory Palestine. For his secondary education he went to Victoria College, Alexandria, Egypt between 1936 and 1940.[3] He started his university studies at the American University of Beirut, completing a BA in Political Science in 1943. Afterwards he returned to Jerusalem to study law between 1943 and 1948.[3] During this time Nuseibeh became a broadcaster and chief news editor of the Palestine Broadcasting Service, where he reported about the Deir Yassin massacre. His studies carried him abroad once more when he went to study at Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University in New Jersey, United States. There he earned a Master of Public Affairs in 1952. At the Politics Department of Princeton he earned a further MA in 1953 and his PhD in 1954.[3]

Diplomatic career

Minister

In 1958 Nuseibeh was to be appointed under-Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Federation, a union of Jordan and Iraq. However, the 14 July Revolution brought down the ruling family in Iraq several days before Nuseibeh's appointment, and the union disbanded.[4] At one point in time thereafter Nuseibeh served as the Jordanian representative in the Jordan–Israel Mixed Armistice Commission.[5] During the 1950s and 1960s the Nusaybah family became more influential in the Jordanian Government, as Hazem's brother Anwar Nusseibeh was appointed governor and custodian of the sanctuaries in the West Bank, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, and at times was Minister of Defence.[6] Hazem Nuseibeh himself later served as Foreign Affairs Minister between January 1962 and April 1963 and once more in 1965,[1][7] although other sources mention that he served continuously between 1962 and 1966.[3] In February 1965 Jordanian Prime Minister, Wasfi al-Tal, presented a White Paper designed to improve the relationship between Jordanians and Palestinians, which had been troublesome for the last couple of years under King Hussein of Jordan.[8] The White Paper was mainly drafted by Nuseibeh and it called for the establishment of a United Kingdom of Palestine and Jordan.[9] The plan gave the West Bank limited autonomy from the state of Jordan and allowed for the election of Palestinians. With the plan Nusseibeh hoped to make the Palestinians in the state of Jordan feel more included. Prime Minister Wasfi al-Tal voted against the plan as he feared it would create more friction between the Palestinians and Jordanians.[9] The plan also received criticism from Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser, who wished to take the Palestinians under his pan-Arab umbrella.[8] Later, Nuseibeh came to regret that his White Plan was not implemented, as he felt that the Palestine Liberation Organization could gain prominence because it could call itself the only representative of the Palestinian people.[10] In 1963 Nuseibeh also became Minister of the Hashemite Royal Court and Political Adviser to Hussein of Jordan.[11] This was followed by a term as Minister of Reconstruction and Development between 1967 and 1968.[3]

Ambassador and Permanent Representative

After these terms as minister, Nuseibeh became an ambassador of Jordan, serving in several high-profile posts. His first assignment was Egypt, where he served from 1968 to 1971.[3] He continued as ambassador in Turkey, being stationed there between 1971 and 1972. He left the Middle East for Europe in 1972 to become ambassador to Italy, Switzerland and Austria, serving until 1974.[3] Nuseibeh changed continents once again when he became the Permanent Representative of Jordan at the United Nations in New York, United States in 1976. During his time as Permanent Representative he on numerous occasions fell out with the Israeli Representative Yehuda Zvi Blum. In December 1980 Nuseibeh partially based a speech on the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, an anti-semitic hoax purporting to describe a Jewish plan for global domination.[12] For the speech he received severe criticism from Blum.[13] Early in 1982 they fell out over the position of Palestinians in Jordan and Israel. Blum wished to point out that Palestinians already had a home in Jordan and referred to the country as "the Palestinian Arab State of Jordan", while Nuseibeh responded by calling Israel "the Israeli entity".[14] During the discussion of the 1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands in the United Nations Security Council, Nuseibeh assured the Argentinian Representative, Eduardo Roca, that Jordan would vote against the United Kingdom. However, after a conversation between Nuseibeh and United Kingdom Representative, Anthony Parsons, the Jordanian vote would later be in favor of the United Kingdom in United Nations Security Council Resolution 502.[15] Nuseibeh served as President of the United Nations Security Council in October 1982 and he retired as Permanent Representative in 1985.[1]

Political career and retirement

After his retirement from the diplomatic service he was member of the Senate of Jordan between either 1982 or 1985 and 1989.[3][4] And during 1986 he served as a Government Minister and was seen as a prominent moderate in the discussion about Palestinians.[16] In 1989 he retired altogether from public service. He did however teach Arab and International Affairs at the University of Jordan and the national War College.[3] In the 2009 published book, Jerusalemites: a living memory, were his personal memoirs.[17] Nuseibeh said on his family's website that he dedicated his time to farming.[3]

On Nuseibeh's 90th birthday, on 6 May 2012, a banquet was hosted by Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan for Nuseibeh's achievements in Jordanian society.[18]

Personal life

During his youth, Nuseibeh managed to win several national and international tournaments in tennis.[3]

Nuseibeh was married to Qadar Masri Nuseibeh and had four children; sons Haitham and Khaled, and daughters Laila and Lina.[4] He died on 10 April 2022, at the age of 99.[19]

Honour

Foreign honour

Works and publications
  • The ideas of Arab nationalism (1954)
  • Palestine and the United Nations (1972)
  • Jerusalemites : a living memory (2009)

See also

References

Notes
  1. Mattar, 334
  2. Eliezer Bee̓ri (1970). Army officers in Arab politics and society. Praeger. p. 360. ISBN 9780269670626.
  3. "Hazem Nuseibeh". Nuseibehfamily.net. Archived from the original on 3 February 2018. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
  4. "Family Members – Hazem Zaki Nuseibeh". nusseibeh.org. Archived from the original on 23 June 2017. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
  5. Enrico Molinaro (1 March 2010). The Holy Places of Jerusalem in Middle East Peace Agreements: The Conflict Between Global and State Identities. Sussex Academic Press. pp. 94–. ISBN 978-1-84519-404-8.
  6. Simon Sebag Montefiore (27 January 2011). Jerusalem: The Biography. Orion. pp. 633–. ISBN 978-0-297-85864-5.
  7. "Foreign Relations, 1961-1963, Volume XVII, Near East, 1961-1962". U.S. Department of State, Archive. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  8. Ashton, 99–100
  9. Slaim, 311
  10. Slaim, 312
  11. The Superpowers, Israel and the Future of Jordan, 1960–1963: The Perils of the Pro-Nasser Policy. Sussex Academic Press. 1999. pp. 145–. ISBN 978-1-902210-14-8.
  12. Abraham P. Bloch (1 January 1987). One a Day: An Anthology of Jewish Historical Anniversaries for Every Day of the Year. KTAV Publishing House, Inc. pp. 183–. ISBN 978-0-88125-108-1.
  13. Yehuda Zvi Blum (1987). For Zion's Sake. Associated University Presse. pp. 29–. ISBN 978-0-8453-4809-3.
  14. David L. Bosco (2009). Five to Rule Them All: The UN Security Council and the Making of the Modern World. Oxford University Press. pp. 135–. ISBN 978-0-19-532876-9.
  15. Richard C. Thornton (1 February 2004). The Reagan Revolution II: Rebuilding the Western Alliance. Trafford Publishing. pp. 71–. ISBN 978-1-4120-1356-7.
  16. Charles J. Hanley (13 April 1986). "At 17, Veteran Terrorist Says He Is Eager to Die for the Palestinian Cause". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
  17. "Jerusalemites: A living memory". Rimal Books. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
  18. Kamel S. Abu Jaber (10 May 2012). "Hazem Nusseibeh of Jerusalem". The Jordan Times. Archived from the original on 12 October 2013. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
  19. Former Minister Hazem Nuseibeh passes away
  20. "Senarai Penuh Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 1965" (PDF).

Sources
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