Ruhi al-Khatib
Encyclopedia
Ruhi al-Khatib was the mayor of Al-Quds (East Jerusalem
) from 1957 to 1994.
His term of service officially came to an end on 29 June 1967, after Israel
annexed East Jerusalem and dissolved the city council
of East Jerusalem. Al-Khatib did not acknowledge his dismissal, but remained in Jerusalem and continued to work as director of the Arab Hotels Company and the Jerusalem Electric Company.
According to Meron Benvenisti
, the Israeli administrator of East Jerusalem
at the time, in the three weeks following the day the Israeli Defense Force took control of the city in the Six Day War and until the dissolution of the city council
of East Jerusalem, Al-Khatib was working to immediately reinstate the municipal services and restore the calm to the city. He even helped in dealing with sensitive issues such as: surrender of weapons held by the civilian population and the removal of squatters
from the destroyed synagogues in the Jewish Quarter of the Old city of Jerusalem. His actions attracted criticisms from fellow Arabs, who accused him of collaborating with the occupation. However, his summary dismissal made him a vocal opponent of the occupation.
In March 1968 he was woken by Israeli policemen at 3:00 AM and told he was wanted for interrogation. But instead of being taken to interrogation, he was given a deportation order alleging that his presence in Jerusalem constituted a danger to the security of Israel
. He was then escorted to the border and handed over to the Jordan
ian authorities. He was not allowed to take anything with him, and his family learned of his expulsion from the radio.
His wife and two children decided to stay in Jerusalem, hoping for his return. In the autumn of 1969, Mrs. Khatib was detained and interrogated. She was then sentenced to three months in prison. No reason was given. After protests from many people, Mrs. Khatib was released after fifteen days. She was then given a permit to visit her husband and undergo an operation in Beirut
. When she tried to return to Jerusalem after her convalescence, she was turned away at the border and refused entry. (Gilmour, pp. 136–137)
Al-Khatib returned to the West Bank
in May 1993, and he died 6 July 1994.
East Jerusalem
East Jerusalem or Eastern Jerusalem refer to the parts of Jerusalem captured and annexed by Jordan in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and then captured and annexed by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War...
) from 1957 to 1994.
His term of service officially came to an end on 29 June 1967, after Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
annexed East Jerusalem and dissolved the city council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
of East Jerusalem. Al-Khatib did not acknowledge his dismissal, but remained in Jerusalem and continued to work as director of the Arab Hotels Company and the Jerusalem Electric Company.
According to Meron Benvenisti
Meron Benvenisti
Meron Benvenisti is an Israeli political scientist who was Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem under Teddy Kollek from 1971 to 1978, during which he administered East Jerusalem and served as Jerusalem's Chief Planning Officer. He is a medieval scholar and published books and maps on the Crusader period in...
, the Israeli administrator of East Jerusalem
East Jerusalem
East Jerusalem or Eastern Jerusalem refer to the parts of Jerusalem captured and annexed by Jordan in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and then captured and annexed by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War...
at the time, in the three weeks following the day the Israeli Defense Force took control of the city in the Six Day War and until the dissolution of the city council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
of East Jerusalem, Al-Khatib was working to immediately reinstate the municipal services and restore the calm to the city. He even helped in dealing with sensitive issues such as: surrender of weapons held by the civilian population and the removal of squatters
Squatting
Squatting consists of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied space or building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have permission to use....
from the destroyed synagogues in the Jewish Quarter of the Old city of Jerusalem. His actions attracted criticisms from fellow Arabs, who accused him of collaborating with the occupation. However, his summary dismissal made him a vocal opponent of the occupation.
In March 1968 he was woken by Israeli policemen at 3:00 AM and told he was wanted for interrogation. But instead of being taken to interrogation, he was given a deportation order alleging that his presence in Jerusalem constituted a danger to the security of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. He was then escorted to the border and handed over to the 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...
ian authorities. He was not allowed to take anything with him, and his family learned of his expulsion from the radio.
His wife and two children decided to stay in Jerusalem, hoping for his return. In the autumn of 1969, Mrs. Khatib was detained and interrogated. She was then sentenced to three months in prison. No reason was given. After protests from many people, Mrs. Khatib was released after fifteen days. She was then given a permit to visit her husband and undergo an operation in Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
. When she tried to return to Jerusalem after her convalescence, she was turned away at the border and refused entry. (Gilmour, pp. 136–137)
Al-Khatib returned 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...
in May 1993, and he died 6 July 1994.