Saeb Erekat, member of the PLO and long-time Palestinian negotiator, dead at 65

Saeb Erekat, longtime chief Palestinian negotiator and secretary-general of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), died today, more than a month after contracting Covid-19. He was 65.

Erekat, born in East Jerusalem in 1955, graduated from the University of San Francisco in the US in 1977 with a BA degree in International Relations and an MA degree in Political Science in 1979. He completed his Ph.D. in Peace and Conflict Studies from Bradford University in England in 1983. He is the author of eight books and numerous research papers on Middle East politics and conflict resolution.

After completing his doctorate, Erekat moved to the West Bank city of Nablus, where he served as a professor of political science at al-Najah National University. He also served on the editorial board of Al-Quds newspaper, the Palestinian daily with the highest circulation.

In 1991, Erekat served as the deputy head of the Palestinian delegation to the Madrid Conference and was later the Vice-Chair at the follow-up negotiations in Washington (1992-1993). In 1994, he was appointed the Chairman of the Palestinian delegation for negotiations on elections and has since been a senior member of the Palestinian negotiation team. He has been extensively involved in all negotiations with Israel, including those conducted at Camp David (2000) and in Taba (2001).

Previously, Erekat served as the Minister of Local Government in 1994. In 1993, he was appointed as the Head of the Central Elections Committee that prepared for the presidential and legislative elections. He resigned from his post to run for elections in Jericho. He was elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) in 1996.

He also served as the Secretary-General of the Arab Studies Society. He has been the Secretary-General of the PLO Executive Committee since July 2015. He is also a member of Fatah’s Central Committee (FCC).

In a statement carried by Wafa Erekat, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas mourned and declared mourning for the flags at half-mast for a period of three days.

Abbas indicated that the death of Erekat is a great loss for Palestine and its people, especially in light of these difficult circumstances.

Haifaa Mafalani