On Tuesday, August 2, 2022, Yasser Arafat Foundation commemorated the birth anniversary of " the wise mind of the Revolution " George Habbash, founder of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), in Al- Muntada Hall at the Yasser Arafat Museum.

After playing the Palestinian national anthem, Dr. Ahmed Sobh, Director General of the Yasser Arafat Foundation, welcomed the guests and asked them to stand up to observe a minute of silence during which they recited Al-Fatiha for the soul of the martyr President Yasser Arafat and pleaded mercy for the national leader George Habbash. 

 

Afterwards, the Foundation screened a film of its production, "The wise mind of the Revolution," which illustrates an overview about the life of the late George Habbash and his marked contributions to the Palestinian national movement.

Dr. Ahmed Soboh, explained that these activities are carried out within the program entitled "Inside the National Memory", which sheds light on the life history of Yasser Arafat’s comrades who ignited together the spark of the Palestinian revolution and walked together along the same path. 

Dr. Soboh stressed that in so doing, the Yasser Arafat Foundation is enhancing the national and democratic values within the framework of the Palestinian national program. The foundation is in fact honoring and glorifying those leaders and freedom fighters who sacrificed themselves for the sake of Palestine   and accompanied the late leader Yasser Arafat during his long journey of struggle and revolution. 

 

During his remembrance speech, Abbas Zaki,  FATH Central Committee member, explained that the late leader, Yasser Arafat described Habbash  as an example for a solid person and the wise mind of the revolution because he was considered all along , even by his adversaries as one of the main pillars of the progressive and national forces. indeed, Al- Hakim, was a firm guardian of the national established principles, and he strongly believed that the Palestine Liberation Organization is an entrustment which must be preserved and protected.

 

Zaki continued: "One of the main traits of Al-Hakim was his warmth, and unshaken commitment to achieve the Palestinian unity. He recalled that Al Hakim rejoiced the Declaration of Independence of 1988 in Algeria. He was also known for his high esteem and an unchallenged level of nationalism. “He started the national struggle with his companions when he founded The Arab Nationalists’ movement which adopted and promoted the notion of pan Arab nationalism. He was a strong believer in the Arab Identity which until the late fifties of the past century it raised amongst others, the slogan of liberating Palestine until the setback which resulted in the aftermath of the 1967 war when he and his comrades founded the PFLP. Therefore, he was a genuine believer in the national cause and in the power of his political thought and ideology in the entire world.    

 

 Omar Shehadeh, a member of the Central Council of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, and a PFLP leader said : " on the eve of the 1982 invasion of Lebanon President, Yasser Arafat, provided an added value to the title of Al-Hakim when he said :” each revolution has a wise person, and our revolution has George Habbash."

He explained: "People gave him this title when he and his comrade Wadei Haddad opened after their graduation a medical clinic in Al Wihdat Refugee Camp in Jordan."

 

Salih Raafat, a member of the Executive Committee of the Liberation Organization, recalled the life of George Habbash and talked about the most important benchmarks in his life, by highlighting the early stages when he participated in the students protests against the partition of Palestine 

 

He added: "Al-Hakim contributed to the establishment of the Arab Nationalists Youth prior to establishing the Arab Nationalists Movement, in 1956 which spread quickly and widely across many Arab countries, and was guided by the slogan of liberating Palestine. In 1958, he founded with Wadei Haddad and Abu Ali Mustafa the Revolt Youth Movement. At that time, the three comrades joined Egyptian Army training camps until they carried out with several cadres of the Arab Nationalists Movement, the first military operation in October 1966. 

 

Several Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) leaders attended this memorial ceremony which was paralleled by a photo exhibition about the life of Al- Hakim “The Wise”.