Jamil Othman Nasser
Encyclopedia
Jamil Othman Nasser was a Palestinian
politician, leader and permanent figure.
in the Jordan Valley
, where he received his elementary education. He graduated from school (Coptic College) in Jerusalem in 1965, and soon after left to Beirut
, Lebanon
, where he studied Law and graduated from the Beirut Arab University
, with a degree in Law in 1970. During his university years in Beirut, he joined the Palestinian National Liberation Movement, Fatah
, and upon his return to Palestine
in the early 1970s
, became a leading figure among its leadership in the occupied territories
.
held under Israeli occupation. He was elected as a municipal council member in the city of Jericho
in the 1976 elections, and was later elected by the council as vice president. He was the youngest member to be elected for a municipal council in the West Bank
at the age of 31. He succeeded the president in 1981 when the latter died, before being deposed by the occupation authorities in 1982 with a military order deposing the elected councils and appointing ones approved by the Israeli occupation authorities.
i response was quick, and Nasser's movement was restricted to the city boundaries of Jericho
. He was not allowed to leave the city boundaries and was supposed to report to the police station twice a day, for terms extending to six months each. His final release came in 1988, at the beginning of the Palestinian
Intifada
, of which he soon after assumed a leading role.
Nasser served as general secretary of the national institutions in the occupied territories
(PLO and other national institutions), a position he held until the signing of the Oslo Accords
in 1993, and the resulting founding of the Palestinian National Authority
by the PLO. In 1994, he was appointed as the first Director General of the Ministry of Interior in the first government formed by the PNA
. A position he held until January 1996, when late President Yasser Arafat
, President of the Palestinian National Authority
, appointed him as Governor of Jerusalem, the first governor to be appointed by the PNA
and the first governor of Jerusalem since the Israeli occupation in 1967. Governor Nasser served as a governor until September 2008.
.
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...
politician, leader and permanent figure.
Early years
Born in the city of Jerusalem on January 30, 1945. He spent his early years in the city of JerichoJericho
Jericho ; is a city located near the Jordan River in the West Bank of the Palestinian territories. It is the capital of the Jericho Governorate and has a population of more than 20,000. Situated well below sea level on an east-west route north of the Dead Sea, Jericho is the lowest permanently...
in the Jordan Valley
Jordan Valley (Middle East)
The Jordan Valley forms part of the larger Jordan Rift Valley. It is 120 kilometers long and 15 kilometers wide, where it runs from Lake Tiberias in the north to northern Dead Sea in the south. It runs for an additional 155 kilometer south of the Dead Sea to Aqaba, an area also known as Wadi...
, where he received his elementary education. He graduated from school (Coptic College) in Jerusalem in 1965, and soon after left to 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...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, where he studied Law and graduated from the Beirut Arab University
Beirut Arab University
Beirut Arab University is a private international accredited university located in Beirut, Lebanon. It was founded by the Lebanese El-Bir and Ihsan Society in 1960...
, with a degree in Law in 1970. During his university years in Beirut, he joined the Palestinian National Liberation Movement, Fatah
Fatah
Fataḥ is a major Palestinian political party and the largest faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization , a multi-party confederation. In Palestinian politics it is on the left-wing of the spectrum; it is mainly nationalist, although not predominantly socialist. Its official goals are found...
, and upon his return to Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
in the early 1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
, became a leading figure among its leadership in the occupied territories
Israeli-occupied territories
The Israeli-occupied territories are the territories which have been designated as occupied territory by the United Nations and other international organizations, governments and others to refer to the territory seized by Israel during the Six-Day War of 1967 from Egypt, Jordan, and Syria...
.
Political and Social activism
Nasser helped establish many institutions in the occupied Palestinian territories, upon the directions of the Palestinian leadership in exile, and was an active member of the various committees launched to coordinate between the various Palestinian factions (factions of the PLO). Nasser participated as a leading member of the "National Front" in the first free elections for the municipal councils of the cities of the West BankWest 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...
held under Israeli occupation. He was elected as a municipal council member in the city of Jericho
Jericho
Jericho ; is a city located near the Jordan River in the West Bank of the Palestinian territories. It is the capital of the Jericho Governorate and has a population of more than 20,000. Situated well below sea level on an east-west route north of the Dead Sea, Jericho is the lowest permanently...
in the 1976 elections, and was later elected by the council as vice president. He was the youngest member to be elected for a municipal council in 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...
at the age of 31. He succeeded the president in 1981 when the latter died, before being deposed by the occupation authorities in 1982 with a military order deposing the elected councils and appointing ones approved by the Israeli occupation authorities.
The 1980s
In 1982, he was elected as head of the Palestinian Lawyers' Bar. The IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i response was quick, and Nasser's movement was restricted to the city boundaries of Jericho
Jericho
Jericho ; is a city located near the Jordan River in the West Bank of the Palestinian territories. It is the capital of the Jericho Governorate and has a population of more than 20,000. Situated well below sea level on an east-west route north of the Dead Sea, Jericho is the lowest permanently...
. He was not allowed to leave the city boundaries and was supposed to report to the police station twice a day, for terms extending to six months each. His final release came in 1988, at the beginning of the Palestinian
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...
Intifada
First Intifada
The First Intifada was a Palestinian uprising against the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories. The uprising began in the Jabalia refugee camp and quickly spread throughout Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem....
, of which he soon after assumed a leading role.
The 1990s and the PNA
In the early 1990s1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
Nasser served as general secretary of the national institutions in the occupied territories
Israeli-occupied territories
The Israeli-occupied territories are the territories which have been designated as occupied territory by the United Nations and other international organizations, governments and others to refer to the territory seized by Israel during the Six-Day War of 1967 from Egypt, Jordan, and Syria...
(PLO and other national institutions), a position he held until the signing of the Oslo Accords
Oslo Accords
The Oslo Accords, officially called the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements or Declaration of Principles , was an attempt to resolve the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict...
in 1993, and the resulting founding of the Palestinian National Authority
Palestinian National Authority
The Palestinian Authority is the administrative organization established to govern parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip...
by the PLO. In 1994, he was appointed as the first Director General of the Ministry of Interior in the first government formed by the PNA
PNA
Peptide nucleic acid is an artificially synthesized polymer similar to DNA or RNA invented by Peter E. Nielsen , Michael Egholm , Rolf H. Berg , and Ole Buchardt Peptide nucleic acid (PNA) is an artificially synthesized polymer similar to DNA or RNA invented by Peter E. Nielsen (Univ. Copenhagen),...
. A position he held until January 1996, when late President Yasser Arafat
Yasser Arafat
Mohammed Yasser Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini , popularly known as Yasser Arafat or by his kunya Abu Ammar , was a Palestinian leader and a Laureate of the Nobel Prize. He was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization , President of the Palestinian National Authority...
, President of the Palestinian National Authority
Palestinian National Authority
The Palestinian Authority is the administrative organization established to govern parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip...
, appointed him as Governor of Jerusalem, the first governor to be appointed by the PNA
PNA
Peptide nucleic acid is an artificially synthesized polymer similar to DNA or RNA invented by Peter E. Nielsen , Michael Egholm , Rolf H. Berg , and Ole Buchardt Peptide nucleic acid (PNA) is an artificially synthesized polymer similar to DNA or RNA invented by Peter E. Nielsen (Univ. Copenhagen),...
and the first governor of Jerusalem since the Israeli occupation in 1967. Governor Nasser served as a governor until September 2008.
Death
Governor Nasser died on the night of November 22, 2008 due to a cardiac arrestCardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...
.