Renowned historian Walid Khalidi passes away at age 100

Walid Khalidi, Renowned Palestinian Historian and Academic, Passes Away at 100

Walid Khalidi, a prominent scholar of the Nakba and co-founder of the Institute for Palestine Studies, has died in Massachusetts, US. He was 100 years old.

Khalidi’s research played a significant role in documenting the events surrounding the Nakba, also known as the “catastrophe,” which occurred in 1948. His work focused on the destruction of Palestinian villages and the ethnic cleansing of Palestine by Zionist militias during this time period.

Born in Jerusalem in 1925, Khalidi received his early education in Ramallah before attending St George’s School in Jerusalem. He later graduated from the University of Oxford in 1951 and went on to pursue an academic career, teaching at various institutions including the American University of Beirut and Harvard University’s Center for International Affairs.

Khalidi was known for his meticulous documentation of historical events, as seen in his book “All That Remains,” which catalogued the destruction of over 400 Palestinian villages during the first Arab-Israeli war. He also published another notable work, “Before Their Diaspora,” which used archival photographs to document Palestinian society before 1948.

In addition to his academic pursuits, Khalidi was involved in Palestinian diplomacy and served as an adviser to various delegations, including the Iraqi delegation to the United Nations and the Arab League secretary-general. He also participated in the 1991 Madrid peace conference.

Tributes from scholars, diplomats, and Palestinian officials have flooded social media since news of his passing. Khalidi’s contributions to the field of Palestinian studies have been widely recognized, with many praising his work as a pioneer in uncovering historical facts about the Nakba.

Source: Al Jazeera