Emile Habibi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Imil (Emile) Shukri Habibi (Arabic: إميل حبيبي, Hebrew: אמיל חביבי; August 1921 - May 3, 1996), born in Haifa to a Protestant Palestinian Arab family, was a writer and politician.
Contents |
[edit] Political career
He became one of the leaders of the Communist Party of Palestine during the British Mandate period. He supported the 1947 UN Partition Plan and chose to remain in Haifa until his death, despite it coming under Israeli control following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
He served in the Israeli Knesset between 1953 and 1972, first as a member of Maki, before breaking away from the party with Tawfik Toubi to found Rakah.
[edit] Writing
Habibi began writing short stories in the 1960s, and in 1972 resigned from the Knesset in order to write his first novel: The Secret Life of Saeed the Pessoptimist. A classic of modern Arab literature, the book depicts the life of an Israeli Arab, employing black humour and satire. He followed this by other books, short stories and a play. His last novel, published in 1992, was Saraya, the Ogre's Daughter.
[edit] Writing Prizes
In 1990 Habibi received the Al Quds Prize from the PLO, while two years later he received the Israel Prize. His willingness to accept both reflected his belief in coexistence.
[edit] External links
- Knesset member profile
- Emile Habibi: I Stayed in Haifa at the Internet Movie Database
- Books by Imil Habibi
 |
This article about an Israeli politician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 |
This Palestinian biographical article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
This article about a Middle Eastern writer or poet is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
