Ilan Halevi
Encyclopedia
Ilan Halevi is a Jewish Palestinian
journalist
and politician
, and one of the very few high ranking Jewish members of the Palestine Liberation Organization
(PLO).
Halevi is the PLO's representative in Europe
and to the Socialist International
, former PLO vice minister of Foreign Affairs
, and participated in that capacity in the Madrid Conference of 1991
.
According to Hanan Ashrawi
(in "This Side of Peace,") in the early 1970s Halevi was a member of Ma'avak
(Struggle), a "small, radical Israel
i anti-Zionist
group". In the wake of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, and subsequent shift of Palestinian activism into the Occupied Territories, he switched his activity to groups which included Israelis and Palestinians working together against the occupation, and helped secure permission for Bashir Barghouti
, a Palestinian activist and member of the Jordanian Communist Party
's governing council, to return to the West Bank
.
Still a critic of Zionism
, Halevi has written several books on the subject and is a founding member of the Revue des Études Palestiniennes (Palestinian Studies Review) in 1981. Halevi currently lives in Paris
and the West Bank. He describes himself as "100% Jewish and 100% Arab"
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, and one of the very few high ranking Jewish members of the Palestine Liberation Organization
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...
(PLO).
Halevi is the PLO's representative in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and to the Socialist International
Socialist International
The Socialist International is a worldwide organization of democratic socialist, social democratic and labour political parties. It was formed in 1951.- History :...
, former PLO vice minister of Foreign Affairs
Foreign minister
A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
, and participated in that capacity in the Madrid Conference of 1991
Madrid Conference of 1991
The Madrid Conference was hosted by the government of Spain and co-sponsored by the USA and the USSR. It convened on October 30, 1991 and lasted for three days. It was an early attempt by the international community to start a peace process through negotiations involving Israel and the Palestinians...
.
According to Hanan Ashrawi
Hanan Ashrawi
Hanan Daoud Khalil Ashrawi is a Palestinian legislator, activist, and scholar. She was a protégé and later colleague and close friend of Edward Said. Ashrawi was an important leader during the First Intifada, served as the official spokesperson for the Palestinian Delegation to the Middle East...
(in "This Side of Peace,") in the early 1970s Halevi was a member of Ma'avak
Ma'avak
Ma'avak was a Maoist-influenced political organisation in Israel in the early 1970s.Officially known as the Revolutionary Communist Alliance , the group became better known by the name of its journal, Ma'avak. It split from Matzpen in the autumn of 1970...
(Struggle), a "small, radical Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i anti-Zionist
Anti-Zionism
Anti-Zionism is opposition to Zionistic views or opposition to the state of Israel. The term is used to describe various religious, moral and political points of view in opposition to these, but their diversity of motivation and expression is sufficiently different that "anti-Zionism" cannot be...
group". In the wake of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, and subsequent shift of Palestinian activism into the Occupied Territories, he switched his activity to groups which included Israelis and Palestinians working together against the occupation, and helped secure permission for Bashir Barghouti
Bashir Barghouti
Bashir Barghuthi was a Palestinian Communist leader and journalist. Barghouti was born in the village of Dayr Ghassana in the Ramallah Governorate. He earned a BA degree in Economics from the American University in Cairo in 1956...
, a Palestinian activist and member of the Jordanian Communist Party
Jordanian Communist Party
The Jordanian Communist Party is a communist political party in Jordan, founded in 1948. Its current general secretary is Dr. Munir Hamarana...
's governing council, to return to the 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...
.
Still a critic of Zionism
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
, Halevi has written several books on the subject and is a founding member of the Revue des Études Palestiniennes (Palestinian Studies Review) in 1981. Halevi currently lives in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and the West Bank. He describes himself as "100% Jewish and 100% Arab"