Simon Karam
{{Short description|Lebanese lawyer (born 1950)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image =
| imagesize =
| office = Ambassador of Lebanon to the United States of America
| predecessor =
| successor =
| term_start = September 1992
| term_end = August 1993
| birth_name = Simon Massoud Karam
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2 February 1950|df=y}}
| birth_place = Jezzine, Lebanon
| death_date =
| death_place =
| restingplace =
| alma_mater = Saint Joseph University
| spouse =
| children = 3
}}
Simon Karam (born 2 February 1950) is a Lebanese lawyer who served as the ambassador of Lebanon to the United States of America between 1992 and 1993.
Early life and education
Karam was born in Jezzine on 2 February 1950.{{cite book|title=Who's Who in Lebanon|year=2007|publisher=Publitec Publications
|edition=19th|url=https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110945904.476|location=Beirut|isbn=978-3-598-07734-0|page=189|doi=10.1515/9783110945904.476}}{{cite news|title=Karam: "The Iranians are playing with fire" in Lebanon|url=https://www.lebanese-forces.com/2007/12/08/1227/|access-date=23 August 2023|work=Lebanese Forces|date=8 December 2007}} He hails from a Maronite family.{{cite journal|author=Robert G. Rabil|title=The Maronites and Syrian Withdrawal: From "Isolationists" to "Traitors"?|journal=Middle East Policy|volume=8|issue=3|year=2001
|doi=10.1111/1475-4967.00025|page=36}} His parents are Massoud Karam who was a merchant and Victoria Aziz. He received a degree in law from Saint Joseph University in Beirut.
Career
Following his graduation Karam worked as a lawyer. He was appointed mohafez (governor) of Bekaa in 1990 and mohafez of Beirut city in 1991. He was named as the ambassador of Lebanon to the United States of America in 1992 and presented his credentials to President George Bush on 8 September.{{cite web|title=Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992-1993, Book II)| website=GovInfo|date=1 August 1992|url=https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PPP-1992-book2/html/PPP-1992-book2-app-pg2277.htm|access-date=23 August 2023}} Karam resigned from office in August 1993.{{cite news|title=Lebanese ambassador resigns abruptly|work=United Press International|date=6 August 1993|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1993/08/06/Lebanese-ambassador-resigns-abruptly/9586744609600/|access-date=23 August 2023}} Then he continued to work as a lawyer in Lebanon.
=Alliances and views=
Karam was part of the Qornet Shehwan movement and was one of the political figures, including Samir Frangieh and Walid Jumblatt, who supported the implementation of the Taif accords and the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon.{{cite journal|author1=Martha Neff Kessler|author2=George Emile Irani|author3=Peter Gubser|author4=Augustus Richard Norton|title=Lebanon and Syria: Internal and Regional Dimensions|journal=Middle East Policy|volume=8|issue=3|year=2001|doi=10.1111/1475-4967.00024|page=6}} Karam left the Qornet Shehwan movement in May 2005 before the elections.{{cite web|title=Lebanon parties eye joint poll lists|website=Al Jazeera|date=12 May 2005|access-date=23 August 2023| url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2005/5/12/lebanon-parties-eye-joint-poll-lists}} He was close to the Lebanese journalist and politician Gebran Tueni who was assassinated in December 2005. Following the assassination Karam argued that the incident was a catastrophe and was carried out by the Syrian forces led by the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.{{cite news|author=Nicholas Blanford|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1213/p07s02-wome.html|title=Top Lebanese journalist killed
|work=The Christian Science Monitor|date=13 December 2005|access-date=23 August 2023|location=Beirut}} Both Tueni and Karam stated in 2000 that Syria did not consider Lebanon as a sovereign country, but as a satellite country under its domination due to the fact that Lebanon could not take part in the negotiations with Israel.{{cite journal|author=Simon Haddad|title=Lebanese Christians'Attitudes Toward Israel and the Peace Process|journal=Studies in Conflict & Terrorism|volume=25|issue=6|year=2002|doi=10.1080/10576100290101287|page=409|s2cid=109910176 }}
Karam was among the signatories of the Statement of Solidarity which was issued at the beginning of the Syrian civil war in April 2011. The statement expressed the solidarity of the Lebanese intellectuals with Syrians in their struggle against Bashar al-Assad.{{cite news
|title=Lebanon: An important statement of solidarity with the people of Syria|website=RPS Newsletter|date=30 April 2011|access-date=23 August 2023
|url=https://myemail.constantcontact.com/LEBANON--AN-IMPORTANT-STATEMENT-OF-SOLIDARITY-WITH-THE-PEOPLE-OF-SYRIA.html?soid=1011190679198&aid=TaMPG4r0dAY}}
Personal life
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Karam, Simon}}
Category:20th-century Lebanese diplomats
Category:Ambassadors of Lebanon to the United States
Category:20th-century Lebanese lawyers
Category:Saint Joseph University alumni