Hani Al Hassan
Encyclopedia
Hani al-Hassan was a leader of the Fatah
organization in Germany
and member of the Palestinian Authority Cabinet and the Palestinian National Council
. He was born in Haifa
in northern modern-day Israel
. He is the younger brother of Khaled al-Hassan
, a Fatah founder.
, where he organized an Islam
ist slate, Shabab al-Aqsa, to compete in student elections. He joined the Muslim Brotherhood
in early 1950s. He went on to study engineering in the late 1950-60s in West Germany
(Darmstadt
& Munich
), where he worked through the General Union of Palestinian Students
(GUPS) in Europe, and acted as Fatah’s main Europe link after he merged his own commando group to Fatah in 1963 until 1967. He also served as President of GUPS from 1962. He served as regional head in Jordan
briefly in early 1970, then as Salah Khalaf
’s deputy in Rasd, along with being a central committee leader during this time period. From 1974, he acted as a political aide to Yasser Arafat
, an ambassador to Tehran
, and an ambassador to Amman
from 1982. He retains good ties to the Gulf States
. He became a member of Fatah-Central Committee in May 1980. He was critical of the leadership's stance towards Iraq
after August 1991, and at Oslo, but returned to Gaza Strip
in November 1995, and became the chief political adviser to Arafat as well as PLO
-CC member & head of the Palestinian National Council
foreign relations committee. He was appointed as Interior Minister on 29 October 2002.
Mahmoud Abbas
attempted to drop him from the PA cabinet, and despite Arafat's resistance, he was replaced in April 2003. He is slated to act as Arafat's national security adviser. Al Hassan was head of Fatah's Bureau of Mobilisation and Organisation and (maktab at-ta`bia wat-tandhim) until April 2007, when he was replaced in that role by Ahmed Qurei. Al Hassan went on to become a National Security Adviser but was dropped by Mahmoud Abbas in June 2007, following his comments made on Al Jazeera.
Following Hamas' takeover of Gaza in June 2007, Hassan caused a major row in Fatah by giving an interview on Al-Jazeera in which he said that there had been no conflict between Hamas and Fatah but rather a conflict between loyal Palestinians in both camps and a small minority in Fatah who were preparing a coup to overthrow Hamas with American backing. He made it clear that he was referring essentially to the followers of Muhammad Dahlan. Hassan's statement was quickly rebutted by an official Fatah spokesman who portrayed Hassan as endorsing a Hamas coup.
Fatah
Fataḥ is a major Palestinian political party and the largest faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization , a multi-party confederation. In Palestinian politics it is on the left-wing of the spectrum; it is mainly nationalist, although not predominantly socialist. Its official goals are found...
organization in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and member of the Palestinian Authority Cabinet and the Palestinian National Council
Palestinian National Council
The Palestinian National Council is the legislative body of the Palestine Liberation Organization and elects its Executive Committee, which assumes leadership of the organization between its sessions. The Council normally meets every two years. Resolutions are passed by a simple majority with a...
. He was born in Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
in northern modern-day Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. He is the younger brother of Khaled al-Hassan
Khaled al-Hassan
Khaled al-Hassan also known as Abu Said was an early adviser of Yasser Arafat, PLO leader and a founder of the Palestinian political and militant organization Fatah. Khaled is the older brother of Hani al-Hassan.-Early life:...
, a Fatah founder.
Biography
He spent time as a refugee in Yarmouk camp, near DamascusDamascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
, where he organized an Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ist slate, Shabab al-Aqsa, to compete in student elections. He joined the Muslim Brotherhood
Muslim Brotherhood
The Society of the Muslim Brothers is the world's oldest and one of the largest Islamist parties, and is the largest political opposition organization in many Arab states. It was founded in 1928 in Egypt by the Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna and by the late 1940s had an...
in early 1950s. He went on to study engineering in the late 1950-60s in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
(Darmstadt
Darmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
& Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
), where he worked through the General Union of Palestinian Students
General Union of Palestinian Students
The General Union of Palestinian Students is an organization run by Palestinian students since the early 1920s. It is generally considered one of the first Palestinian institutions started. It was officially launched in Cairo in 1959....
(GUPS) in Europe, and acted as Fatah’s main Europe link after he merged his own commando group to Fatah in 1963 until 1967. He also served as President of GUPS from 1962. He served as regional head in Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
briefly in early 1970, then as Salah Khalaf
Salah Khalaf
Salah Mesbah Khalaf , also known as Abu Iyad was deputy chief and head of intelligence for the Palestine Liberation Organization, and the second most senior official of Fatah after Yasser Arafat....
’s deputy in Rasd, along with being a central committee leader during this time period. From 1974, he acted as a political aide to Yasser Arafat
Yasser Arafat
Mohammed Yasser Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini , popularly known as Yasser Arafat or by his kunya Abu Ammar , was a Palestinian leader and a Laureate of the Nobel Prize. He was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization , President of the Palestinian National Authority...
, an ambassador to Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
, and an ambassador to Amman
Amman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
from 1982. He retains good ties to the Gulf States
Arab states of the Persian Gulf
"Arab states of the Persian Gulf" or "Arab Persian Gulf states" or "Persian Gulf Arab states" or "Arabic Persian Gulf states" or "Arab States of The Gulf", are terms that refer to the six Arab states of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman, bordering the Persian Gulf....
. He became a member of Fatah-Central Committee in May 1980. He was critical of the leadership's stance towards Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
after August 1991, and at Oslo, but returned to Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
in November 1995, and became the chief political adviser to Arafat as well as PLO
Palestine Liberation Organization
The Palestine Liberation Organization is a political and paramilitary organization which was created in 1964. It is recognized as the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people" by the United Nations and over 100 states with which it holds diplomatic relations, and has enjoyed...
-CC member & head of the Palestinian National Council
Palestinian National Council
The Palestinian National Council is the legislative body of the Palestine Liberation Organization and elects its Executive Committee, which assumes leadership of the organization between its sessions. The Council normally meets every two years. Resolutions are passed by a simple majority with a...
foreign relations committee. He was appointed as Interior Minister on 29 October 2002.
Mahmoud Abbas
Mahmoud Abbas
Mahmoud Abbas , also known by the kunya Abu Mazen , has been the Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation since 11 November 2004 and became President of the Palestinian National Authority on 15 January 2005 on the Fatah ticket.Elected to serve until 9 January 2009, he unilaterally...
attempted to drop him from the PA cabinet, and despite Arafat's resistance, he was replaced in April 2003. He is slated to act as Arafat's national security adviser. Al Hassan was head of Fatah's Bureau of Mobilisation and Organisation and (maktab at-ta`bia wat-tandhim) until April 2007, when he was replaced in that role by Ahmed Qurei. Al Hassan went on to become a National Security Adviser but was dropped by Mahmoud Abbas in June 2007, following his comments made on Al Jazeera.
Following Hamas' takeover of Gaza in June 2007, Hassan caused a major row in Fatah by giving an interview on Al-Jazeera in which he said that there had been no conflict between Hamas and Fatah but rather a conflict between loyal Palestinians in both camps and a small minority in Fatah who were preparing a coup to overthrow Hamas with American backing. He made it clear that he was referring essentially to the followers of Muhammad Dahlan. Hassan's statement was quickly rebutted by an official Fatah spokesman who portrayed Hassan as endorsing a Hamas coup.