Afif Safieh
{{short description|Palestinian diplomat (born 1950)}}
{{use dmy dates |date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Afif Safieh
{{lang|ar|عفيف صافية}}
| image = Dmitry Medvedev with Afif Safieh.jpg
| caption = Afif Safieh presents his credentials to President Dmitry Medvedev in September 2008.
| office = Head of the Palestinian Mission to the United Kingdom
| president =
| term_start = 1990
| term_end = 2005
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1950|05|04}}
| birth_place = East Jerusalem, Jordanian West Bank
| death_date =
| death_place =
| residence =
| party =
| alma_mater = Université catholique de Louvain
Sciences Po
| predecessor =
| successor = Manuel Hassassian
}}
Afif Safieh ({{langx|ar|عفيف صافية}}; born 4 May 1950) is a Palestinian diplomat. He has served as a Palestinian delegate to the Netherlands (1987–1990), to the United Kingdom (1990–2005), the Holy See, Vatican (1995–2005), and in Washington, D.C. as the head of the PLO mission (2005–2008). He was most recently the Palestinian ambassador to the Russian Federation.{{Cite book|last=Safieh|first=Afif|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nH9-SQAACAAJ|title=On Palestinian Diplomacy|date=2004|publisher=Palestinian General Delegation to the U.K. and the Office of Representation of the P.L.O. to the Holy See|language=en}}
Safieh is an experienced diplomat, having served in the three most politically significant capitals: London, Washington, and Moscow.{{Cite web |title=H.E. Ambassador Afif Safieh |url=https://ccps21.org/boards/distinguished-diplomatic-board/afif-safieh/ |access-date=2023-10-15 |website=Cambridge Centre for Palestine Studies |language=en}} Before this, he was deputy director of the PLO Observer Mission to the United Nations Office at Geneva.{{Cite web |date=2018-04-09 |title=Afif Safieh |url=https://ecfr.eu/special/mapping_palestinian_politics/afif_safieh/ |access-date=2023-10-14 |website=Mapping Palestinian Politics |publisher=ECFR |language=en-GB}}
Early life and education
Safieh was born in Jerusalem in 1950 to a Palestinian Roman Catholic family.{{Cite web |title=SAFIEH, AFIF EMILE (-) |url=http://passia.org/personalities/670 |access-date=2023-10-15 |website=passia.org}} He studied at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium, then in the Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Paris. During this time, he headed the Belgian branch of the General Union of Palestinian Students (GUPS) between 1969 and 1971; and the French branch of GUPS between 1974 and 1975.
Career
In May 2008, Afif Safieh was appointed to serve as the Palestinian ambassador to the Russian Federation, he presented his letter of credentials to President Medvedev on September 18, 2008. It was reported in March 2009 that he had been dismissed from this post by Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, apparently because he had spoken at a rally organised by Hamas to protest against Israeli actions during the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict.{{cite web |url=http://french.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3665&Itemid=41 |title=Ambassadeur palestinien transféré après avoir critiqué l’AP |work=Palestine News Network |date=19 March 2009 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140117102451/http://web.archive.org/web/20110816183646/french.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3665&Itemid=41 |archive-date=17 January 2014 |language=fr}}{{cite web |url=http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/qumsiyeh300309.html |title=On Land Day |author=Mazin Qumsiyeh |work=Monthly Review |date=30 March 2009 |access-date=7 July 2024}}
In September 2014 he was awarded by the Bethlehem University the degree of Doctor of Humanities, Honoris Causa.{{Cite web |last=Safieh |first=Afif |title=Home |url=https://afifsafieh.com/ |access-date=2023-10-15 |website=Afif Safieh |language=en-GB}}
In the 6th Fateh Conference in 2009 and the 7th Fateh Conference in 2016, he was elected Member of the Revolutionary Council, which is the parliament of Fatah and since then has been Deputy Commissioner for International Relations.{{Cite web |date=2012-06-04 |work=The Interview |title=Afif Safieh, Fatah's Deputy Commissioner for International Relations |url=https://www.france24.com/en/20120604-fatah-international-relations-israeli-palestinian-conflict-peace-process-deputy-commissioner-wb-en-interview |access-date=2023-10-15 |publisher=France 24 |language=en}}
In 2018, Safieh gave a speech to Sinn Féin in Ireland at the Ardfheis.{{cite web |title=Palestinian leader gets huge welcome at Sinn Féin 2018 Ard Fheis |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1fOWNJZXOc |access-date=2023-10-15 |language=en-GB |date=16 June 2018 |via=YouTube}}
Personal life
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927000502/http://www.fora.tv/fora/showthread.php?p=964 Video of Speech at World Affairs Council of Northern California (August 2006)]}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20060221212649/http://wrmea.com/action_alerts/ambassador_safieh.html Announcement of appointment as envoy to the United States], from the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs
- [http://www.forward.com/articles/7088 Palestinian Envoy Brings New Strategy to Washington], from the Forward
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20051210020605/http://www.aljazeerah.info/Opinion%20editorials/2005%20Opinion%20Editorials/December/7%20o/The%20Anatomy%20of%20the%20PLO%20Mission%20in%20Washington%20Recapturing%20the%20Historical%20Initiative%20By%20Ambassador%20Afif%20Safieh.htm The Anatomy of the PLO Mission in Washington], from the Al-Jazeerah Information Center
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Safieh, Afif}}
Category:Ambassadors of Palestine to the United Kingdom
Category:Ambassadors of Palestine to Russia
Category:Harvard University staff
Category:Palestinian Roman Catholics
Category:21st-century Palestinian diplomats
Category:Diplomats from Jerusalem
Category:Université catholique de Louvain alumni
Category:Ambassadors of Palestine to the United States