Resilience and Vision: Ahmed Shukeiri’s Leadership in the Palestinian Struggle for Liberation

Abstract: This paper provides an in-depth study of Ahmed Shukeiri’s role as the chairperson of the Fatah movement, one of the major players of the Palestinian nationalist movement. Peering over the horizon, the title suggests a transnational biography of considerable scope, and this is certainly what we get, if to a slightly more limited extent than some might wish, as the study examines Shukeiri’s early years and rise to leadership, his work and role in the 1960s, the obstacles and constraints he faced, and his eventual influence on the movement, all concerning original and secondary materials for the period from the late 1950s until 1967. This chapter examines Shukeiri’s formative years, his education in Cairo and Istanbul, his environment in Lebanon, and his leadership style. It also explores his time as an Arab League diplomat and how he used his office to promote the Palestinian cause variety of international arenas to illustrate the networks and diplomatic skills that he brought with him to his Fatah leadership. They are all mentioned in a comprehensive examination of Shukeiri’s pragmatic-idealist leadership style — backing armed resistance to Israeli occupation and still acting within a framework of “above-ground politics” to realize the goal of a Palestinian state.

The researchers explore the content of Shukeiri’s efforts to promote the strengthening of the armed struggle, the instigation of Palestinian resistance against Israeli occupation and the salience of the Palestinian cause. It examines how he deftly aligned Arab states behind the Palestinian cause and made the Palestinian issue a top international priority. Shukeiri had problems, such as opposition from within Fatah and from other Palestinian factions, but his enduring impact as an early figure in Palestinian nationalism is underscored. This work, although imperfect, laid a foundation for later leaders and coalitions to advocate for Palestinian independence.