Bassam Shakaa
Encyclopedia
Bassam Shakaa (1930- ) was elected mayor of Nablus
in 1976.
Bassam Shakaa is a member of one of the wealthiest and most distinguished families in Nablus. He joined Jordan's Ba'ath party in the early 1950s and as a consequence was wanted by Jordanian authorities, forcing him to flee to Syria. He was one of the fierce critics of Syria's independence from the United Arab Republic and after being jailed by the Syrian authorities following his resignation from the Ba'ath party because of the split. Following his release, he moved to Egypt until amnesty from the Jordanian government when he moved back to his home-town Nablus. In 1976 he was elected mayor of Nablus, a position he held until 1982, when all Palestinian mayors were replaced with Israeli local rulers. Shakaa had been a Palestine Liberation Organisation supporter and outspoken critic of the Camp David accords, and was subsequently issued with an expulsion order in 1979. Felicia Langer
successfully defended him from the charges in the court, which was accompanied with large scale popular actions consisting of big demonstrations and the collective resignation of all West Bank mayors.
On June 2, 1980 he became the victim of a bomb placed in his car by members of the Jewish Underground. They also planted bombs in the cars of Ibrahim Tawil, the mayor of El-Bireh, and Karim Khalaf
, the mayor of Ramallah
. Khalaf lost one leg, while Shakaa had to have both legs amputated. Moshe Zer, one of the first Israeli settlers in the northern West Bank
, was the person who led the Jewish underground "hit team" that tried to assassinate Shakaa. Zer was convicted for causing serious injury and belonging to a terror group, but was sentenced to only four months in prison, the time he was in jail waiting for his trial, because of the state of his health and the fact that he was badly injured in an attempt of a Palestinian to murder him. The bomb was planted merely months after Ezer Weizman, Israeli defence minister at the time, threatened him with "physical harm" if he carried on with his resistance.
Following his mayorship, Shakaa remained a strong supporter of the PLO and continued his resistance against self governance under occupation. The Oslo Accords were a blow to the resistance Shakaa and his contemporaries put up against self governance during their time in mayorship and he has been as outspoken against Oslo and the PA as he was against Camp David. He remains a supporter of resistance, both violent and non-violent, against Israeli occupation and maintains his anti-normalisation position, opposing negotiations with the occupation. In 1999, the Palesitnian Authority put him under house arrest following "The 20 declaration", which was signed by 20 well-respected anti-PA figures, criticising the line the PA was going down and calling for an end to the Oslo Accords. In September 2011, he signed a petition of several Palestinian figures criticising PA president Mahmoud Abbas' move to seek recognition of a Palestinian state based on '67 borders at the United Nations as a distraction from the resistance that the Palestinian people must carry out and a move that could put Palestinian rights in danger. He is now the president of the pan-Arabist Party in Palestine (al-Tayyar al-Arabi al-Qawmi fi Falasteen).
Former Nablus mayor Ghassan Shakaa
and Dutch member of parliament Arjan El Fassed
are his nephews.
Nablus
Nablus is a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank, approximately north of Jerusalem, with a population of 126,132. Located in a strategic position between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, it is the capital of the Nablus Governorate and a Palestinian commercial and cultural center.Founded by the...
in 1976.
Bassam Shakaa is a member of one of the wealthiest and most distinguished families in Nablus. He joined Jordan's Ba'ath party in the early 1950s and as a consequence was wanted by Jordanian authorities, forcing him to flee to Syria. He was one of the fierce critics of Syria's independence from the United Arab Republic and after being jailed by the Syrian authorities following his resignation from the Ba'ath party because of the split. Following his release, he moved to Egypt until amnesty from the Jordanian government when he moved back to his home-town Nablus. In 1976 he was elected mayor of Nablus, a position he held until 1982, when all Palestinian mayors were replaced with Israeli local rulers. Shakaa had been a Palestine Liberation Organisation supporter and outspoken critic of the Camp David accords, and was subsequently issued with an expulsion order in 1979. Felicia Langer
Felicia Langer
Felicia Langer is an Israeli human rights attorney known for her defense of Palestinians charged with political violations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. She has also authored several books alleging human rights violations on the part of Israeli authorities. In July 2009, German President...
successfully defended him from the charges in the court, which was accompanied with large scale popular actions consisting of big demonstrations and the collective resignation of all West Bank mayors.
On June 2, 1980 he became the victim of a bomb placed in his car by members of the Jewish Underground. They also planted bombs in the cars of Ibrahim Tawil, the mayor of El-Bireh, and Karim Khalaf
Karim Khalaf
Karim Hanna Sama'an Khalaf was a Palestinian attorney and politician who served as the Mayor of Ramallah from 1972 to 1982.-Early life and career:...
, the mayor of Ramallah
Ramallah
Ramallah is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank located 10 kilometers north of Jerusalem, adjacent to al-Bireh. It currently serves as the de facto administrative capital of the Palestinian National Authority...
. Khalaf lost one leg, while Shakaa had to have both legs amputated. Moshe Zer, one of the first Israeli settlers in the northern West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
, was the person who led the Jewish underground "hit team" that tried to assassinate Shakaa. Zer was convicted for causing serious injury and belonging to a terror group, but was sentenced to only four months in prison, the time he was in jail waiting for his trial, because of the state of his health and the fact that he was badly injured in an attempt of a Palestinian to murder him. The bomb was planted merely months after Ezer Weizman, Israeli defence minister at the time, threatened him with "physical harm" if he carried on with his resistance.
Following his mayorship, Shakaa remained a strong supporter of the PLO and continued his resistance against self governance under occupation. The Oslo Accords were a blow to the resistance Shakaa and his contemporaries put up against self governance during their time in mayorship and he has been as outspoken against Oslo and the PA as he was against Camp David. He remains a supporter of resistance, both violent and non-violent, against Israeli occupation and maintains his anti-normalisation position, opposing negotiations with the occupation. In 1999, the Palesitnian Authority put him under house arrest following "The 20 declaration", which was signed by 20 well-respected anti-PA figures, criticising the line the PA was going down and calling for an end to the Oslo Accords. In September 2011, he signed a petition of several Palestinian figures criticising PA president Mahmoud Abbas' move to seek recognition of a Palestinian state based on '67 borders at the United Nations as a distraction from the resistance that the Palestinian people must carry out and a move that could put Palestinian rights in danger. He is now the president of the pan-Arabist Party in Palestine (al-Tayyar al-Arabi al-Qawmi fi Falasteen).
Former Nablus mayor Ghassan Shakaa
Ghassan Shakaa
Ghassan Shakaa is the former mayor of Nablus, one of the largest cities in the West Bank. Former Nablus mayor Bassam Shaka is his uncle. Shakaa was appointed to his position by Yasser Arafat. His brother was assassinated by still an unknown group...
and Dutch member of parliament Arjan El Fassed
Arjan El Fassed
Arjan El Fassed is a Dutch politician, and former human rights activist and development aid worker. As a member of GreenLeft he has been an MP since June 17, 2010...
are his nephews.
Further reading
- Marion Woolfson: Bassam Shaka, portrait of a Palestinian London: Third World Centre, 1981, ISBN 0861990099
External links
- "Two Teeth for a Tooth!" Monday, Jun. 16, 1980 Time Magazine
- Donald NeffDonald NeffDonald Neff is an American journalist. He spent 16 years in service for Time Magazine, and is a former Time Magazine Bureau Chief in Israel. He also worked for the Washington Star....
: Jewish Terrorists Try to Assassinate Three Palestinian Mayors Washington Report on Middle East AffairsWashington Report on Middle East AffairsThe Washington Report on Middle East Affairs magazine, published nine times per year in Washington, D.C., focuses on "news and analysis from and about the Middle East and U.S...
, June 1999, pages 87–88 - Palestinians arrested for criticicing self-rule authority BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
28 November 1999 - The Absence of National Unity: An Interview with Bassam Shaka Arjan El FassedArjan El FassedArjan El Fassed is a Dutch politician, and former human rights activist and development aid worker. As a member of GreenLeft he has been an MP since June 17, 2010...
, The Electronic IntifadaElectronic IntifadaThe Electronic Intifada is a not-for-profit, independent online publication which covers the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from a Palestinian perspective, "aimed at combating the pro-Israeli, pro-American spin" its editors believe exists in mainstream media accounts.-History:EI was founded by Ali...
, 29 August 2005 - Fighting words / Far from the madding crowd by Danny RubinsteinDanny RubinsteinDaniel "Danny" Rubinstein is an Israeli journalist and author. He previously worked for Haaretz, where he was an Arab affairs analyst and a member of the editorial board.-Biography:...
in HaaretzHaaretzHaaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
, 15 July 2005 (retrieved 30 Oct. 2006) - Bassam Shaka biography