In the aftermath of the October 7 Hamas-led operation al-Aqsa Flood, Elias Khoury wrote an article that attracted massive criticism in the Western and Israeli media.
Award-winning novelist Elias Khoury passed away at the age of 76, an announcement met with sorrow from those who connected with his works and his advocacy for the Palestinian cause. He remained a staunch opponent of Israel’s war on Gaza through months of illness.
Born on July 12, 1948, to a Greek Orthodox family in Beirut, Elias Khoury emerged as one of Lebanon’s leading voices in the field of Arabic literature.
Khoury studied at the Lebanese University and the University of Paris where he received a PhD in social history. He would later go on to teach at Universities around the world.
AUB Mourns Acclaimed Lebanese Novelist Elias Khoury (Hon DHL ’23)https://t.co/wPDVeVeIxJ pic.twitter.com/XgmqMqW3Pf
— American University of Beirut (@AUB_Lebanon) September 16, 2024
In the aftermath of the October 7 Hamas-led operation al-Aqsa Flood, Elias Khoury wrote an article entitled ‘It’s Palestine”, which predictably attracted massive criticism in the Western and Israeli media, as he wrote:
“The biggest open-air prison, the besieged Ghetto of Gaza, has launched a war against Israel, occupied settlements and forced settlers to flee.”
In 1967, aged 19, Khoury traveled to Jordan and became a member of the Palestinian political party, Fatah, which was leading the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) under the command of its chairman Yasser Arafat.
However, the Lebanese novelist would soon have to flee the Kingdom of Jordan after the Hashemite ruler, King Hussein, launched an attack against the Palestinian resistance which caused them to flee. The incident is known as Black September, in which thousands of Palestinians were killed.
During the Lebanese Civil War, Khoury was part of the Lebanese National Movement that opposed right-wing Christian militias and was formed of Leftist and pan-Arab parties that were supportive of the PLO.
Prolific novelist, fighter, critic, fiery public intellectual and beloved teacher Elias Khoury has passed away (1948-2024). His work traverses a large historical and stylistic range and he dedicated his life to writing about Palestine and the Palestinian experience.
Rest in… pic.twitter.com/TD4QKfgFsd
— Radical Books Collective 🇵🇸🍉 (@WARSCAPES) September 15, 2024
Working for al-Quds al-Arabi, he also published for a range of Arabic media outlets and gained fame across the Arab World for his articles, additionally working as an editor for a range of newspapers, outlets and magazines.
He even served as a co-editor for the PLO’s magazine Shu’un Filastiniyya between 1975 and 1979, working alongside Palestinian literary icon Mahmoud Darwish. Elias Khoury published his first novel in 1975 and would go on to write a number of novels and literary critiques that would become famous across the Arab World, some later turned into movies and plays.
Elias Khoury taught at Ivy League Universities across the United States, while also teaching at colleges in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Switzerland, and in his home country of Lebanon.
Elias Khoury, Lebanese novelist and intellectual dedicated to writing about Palestine and the ongoing Nakba, has passed away.
Today, we honor his legacy and commitment to the liberation of Palestine. pic.twitter.com/pvdQn91yYi
— CODEPINK (@codepink) September 15, 2024
Throughout the years he had been involved in various political debates regarding a range of topics across the Arab World, drawing praise from some and the criticism of others.
Yet, the central role of the Palestinian cause in his writings served to unite a broad audience behind his works and receive the ears of those with whom he politically disagreed.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
– Robert Inlakesh is a journalist, writer, and documentary filmmaker. He focuses on the Middle East, specializing in Palestine. He contributed this article to The Palestine Chronicle.
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