Samiha Khalil

Samiha Khalil (1924-1999) was a prominent figure in Palestinian politics for four decades

Related Topics:
1924 - 1999 - Palestinian

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Born in the village of Anabta in 1924, she dropped out of highschool at the age of seventeen to marry Salameh Khalil. After the 1948 War, the couple fled to Gaza where they raised a family of five children, and in 1964 Samiha finally returned to school and graduated; she was unable to pursue her desired degree at Beirut University however since Israel had forbidden her to leave the country at the time.

Related Topics:
Anabta - 1948 War - Gaza - Beirut University

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In 1965, Khalil came to the public eye when she founded the Al Inaash al-Usra society in her garage - it would grow to become the largest and most effective Palestinian welfare organization.

Related Topics:
1965 - Al Inaash al-Usra society

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In 1977 she became the first and only female member of the National Front Committee.

Related Topics:
1977 - National Front Committee

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During the 1980s, Khalil was tied to the DFLP and detained six times by the IDF; she saw two of her children deported from Israel and the other three (who had been out of the country at the time) forbidden from re-entering. She was eventually placed under town-arrest in El-Bireh.

Related Topics:
DFLP - IDF - Israel - El-Bireh

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In 1996 she ran against Yassar Arafat for leadership of the Palestine Authority, though she lost the election with less than 20% of voters supporting her as president.

Related Topics:
1996 - Yassar Arafat - Palestine Authority

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A grandmother of 13, Khalil remained an active member in the political scene, serving on the Palestinian National Council up until her death in 1999.

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