Ruhi al-Khatib (, ; 1914–1994) was the last mayor of

East Jerusalem East Jerusalem (, ; , ) is the portion of Jerusalem that was Jordanian annexation of the West Bank, held by Jordan after the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, as opposed to West Jerusalem, which was held by Israel. Captured and occupied in 1967, th ...

under Jordanian rule. Elected in 1957, his term came to an end on 29 June 1967, when

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

dissolved the

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of East Jerusalem following its conquest of the city in the

Six-Day War The Six-Day War, also known as the June War, 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states, primarily United Arab Republic, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan from 5 to 10June ...

. Despite this he continued to hold the title of Mayor of Jerusalem until his death on 5 July 1994.

Early life

Ruhi al-Khatib was born in Jerusalem in 1914 to a prominent family and travelled for studies to England, where he attended classes at

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and

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. He became active within Palestinian nationalism upon his return to Jerusalem. Following the 1948 War he entered the hotel business. In 1951, he was elected to the Jerusalem Municipal Council and became mayor of East Jerusalem in 1957.

After annexation

In the three weeks from the day the Israeli conquest of the city 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 the surrender of weapons held by the civilian population and the removal of

squatters Squatting is the action of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land or a building (usually residential) that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use. The United Nations estimated in 2003 that there wer ...

from the destroyed synagogues in the

Jewish Quarter Jewish Quarter may refer to: *Jewish quarter (diaspora), areas of many cities and towns traditionally inhabited by Jews *Jewish Quarter (Jerusalem), one of the four traditional quarters of the Old City of Jerusalem *Jewish Quarter (), a popular name ...

of the

Old city of Jerusalem The Old City of Jerusalem (; ) is a walled area in Jerusalem. In a tradition that may have begun with an 1840s British map of the city, the Old City is divided into four uneven quarters: the Muslim Quarter, the Christian Quarter, the Arm ...

. His actions attracted criticisms from fellow Arabs, who accused him of collaborating with Israel. However, his dismissal made him a vocal opponent of Israel. Al-Khatib did not recognize his dismissal and remained in Jerusalem. He continued to work as director of the Arab Hotels Company and the Jerusalem Electric Company. In March 1968 he was deported to Jordan as his presence in Jerusalem was deemed a danger to the security of

. He was not allowed to take anything with him. His wife and two children, who learned of his expulsion from the radio, decided to stay in Jerusalem, hoping for his return. In the autumn of 1969, his wife was arrested and sentenced to three months in prison. After protests from many people, she was released after fifteen days. She was then given a permit to visit her husband and undergo an operation in

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. When she tried to return to Jerusalem after her convalescence, she was turned away at the border and refused entry.

David Gilmour David Jon Gilmour ( ; born 6 March 1946) is an English guitarist, singer and songwriter who is a member of the rock band Pink Floyd. He joined in 1967, shortly before the departure of the founder member Syd Barrett. By the early 1980s, Pink F ...

: '' Dispossessed. The Ordeal of the Palestinians''. Sphere books, Great Britain, 1983, (first published in 1980), p. 136-137.

Later life

Al-Khatib returned to the

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in May 1993. He died on 5 July 1994.

Gallery of images

File:Jerusalem Municipal Council 1965.jpg, Jerusalem Municipal Council and Daod Abu-Ghazalel, Governor of Jerusalem, in 1965 File:Rouhi al-Khatib 3.jpg, al-Khatib delivering speech at the cornerstone laying ceremony of Al-Quds University 1966 in the presence of King Hussein of Jordan and the Prince of Kuwait File:Rouhi Al-Khatib - Mayor of Jerusalem & Mrs. Zaeda Khatib - 1966 Jerusalem - St. John's Hospital Ceremony.jpg, al-Khatib and his wife at the 1966 inauguration of St. John's Hospital in Jerusalem File:Rouhi al-Khatib.jpg, al-Khatib delivering a speech to the UN Security Council in 1968

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khatib, Ruhi al- Mayors of Jerusalem 1914 births 1994 deaths Politicians from Jerusalem Place of birth missing Mandatory Palestine expatriates in the United Kingdom