George Habash

George Habash, born on August second, nineteen twenty-six in Lydda, Mandatory Palestine, was a prominent Palestinian politician and physician. His early life was marked by tragedy during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War when he returned to Lydda as a medical student at the American University of Beirut. The forced expulsion of the Arab Palestinian population, including his family, during the Lydda Death March resulted in the loss of his sister, a pivotal moment that shaped his future activism.

After graduating at the top of his class from medical school in nineteen fifty-one, Habash dedicated his skills to serving Palestinian refugees in Jordan, where he established a clinic in Amman. His commitment to the Palestinian cause led him to relocate to Syria and Lebanon, further solidifying his role as a key figure in the struggle for Palestinian rights.

In nineteen sixty-seven, following his marginalization within the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) by Yasser Arafat, Habash founded the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). This Marxist–Leninist organization opposed the existence of Israel and advocated for a one-state solution. His leadership was marked by significant events, including the Dawson's Field hijackings in nineteen seventy, which resulted in his exile to Lebanon amidst the ensuing Black September conflict.

Despite the PLO's shift towards a two-state solution with the Oslo Peace Accords in nineteen ninety-three, Habash remained steadfast in his opposition. He resigned as the PFLP's secretary-general in two thousand due to health issues and passed away from a heart attack in two thousand eight. Known by his kunya 'al-Hakim,' meaning 'The Wise Man' or 'The Doctor,' Habash left a lasting legacy in Palestinian politics.