Pierre Gemayel

This article deals with the Lebanese politician with the dates of 1905–1984; for the likewise politically active grandson with the biographies 1972–2006 see Pierre Gemayel junior .

Pierre Gemayel (right) with W. Hawi

Pierre Gemayel ( Arabic بيير الجميّل Pyēr Dschumayyil , Lebanese-Arabic Pyēr Žmayyel ; born November 1 or 6, 1905 in Bikfaya ; † August 29, 1984 ibid) was a Lebanese politician .

youth

After studying at the Université Saint-Joseph in Beirut, he trained as a pharmacist . During his visit to the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin , he was inspired by the National Socialist youth groups, of whose discipline he was impressed.

Political career

Coming from a political family that arose as a Lebanese political dynasty during the Ottoman Empire , his political path was predetermined and he got into politics.

Foundation of the Phalange

After his return from Germany in 1936, he founded a right-wing youth movement . In 1937 it became the Kata'ib or Phalangist Party, with Gemayel as its chairman. The party became an important political Christian movement, particularly of the Maronites , in Lebanon. Pierre Gemayel was chairman until 1980.

Political rise

In 1960 he was first elected to the Lebanese parliament and held several ministerial posts in government cabinets. He ran twice (in 1964 and 1970) for the presidency of the Lebanese Republic, but was unsuccessful on both occasions.

family

His family played an important role in Lebanese politics .

During the outbreak of the Lebanese civil war , a Phalangist militia was established under one of his sons.

His son Bachir Gemayel , who had developed close ties with Israel during the civil war, was murdered in a bomb attack in September 1982 shortly after the election for president. A day later, Pierre Gemayel received the Israeli Defense Minister Ariel Sharon in Bikfaya for a condolence visit. On the same day, Israeli troops occupied parts of Beirut for the first time. According to Sharon’s statements to the Kahan Commission , Pierre Gemayel thanked him for the Israeli support during this conversation and expressed the hope that relations would develop further. A week later, his older son, Amin Gemayel , was elected to succeed Bachir as Lebanese president .

Web links

Commons : Pierre Gemayel  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ quoted from Sharon v. TIME Inc. , p. 565, New York District Court's judgment of November 12, 1984, accessed October 12, 2012
2. ↑ more on Pierre Gemayel and Israel at Julie Flint: The Sharon files , in: The Guardian of November 28, 2001, accessed on October 12, 2012 (English)