Husseini's death 'a blow for peace'

Husseini: One of "best sons" of Palestinians

By CNN's Sarah Sultoon

JERUSALEM -- The death of Faisal Husseini, Palestinian minister for Jerusalem and top PLO official, is a blow to both sides of the peace process, observers say.

Many Arabs viewed Husseini as one who united rural and urban dwellers, while others among the Christian and Muslim communities regarded him as someone who also tried to bridge the divide with Israelis.

Commentators also say that while hard-line Israelis saw Husseini's presence in Jerusalem as a threat to their claims of sovereignty, many others believe his informal contacts with Israelis prevented many confrontations in the Holy City.

Husseini was a top Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) official and a central figure in its campaign for Palestinian statehood.

Though he once said Jews and Arabs could live together in the same capital, Husseini had hardened his stance towards Israel during the recent intifada (uprising) and was attending an anti-Israeli conference in Kuwait when he died from a massive heart attack.

Using the Hebrew he had taught himself to be able to reach out to Israelis, Husseini was a frequent guest on Israeli television and radio talk shows, explaining the Palestinian point of view.

Meron Benvenisti, a former deputy mayor in Jerusalem, who had been friends with Husseini for years, described him as "a man who had his family's sense of pride but was someone we could talk with and who understood us better than anyone else."

"If there was a man that you could find a shared language with, it was Faisal Husseini," Benvenisti told Israeli radio. "The language of peace (has) suffered a serious blow."

Former Israeli Minister of Justice Yossi Beilin, one of the architects of the Israeli-Palestinian Oslo accords, said Husseini was "a Palestinian nationalist who combined a belief in peace with a dogged defence of the Palestinian position."

The leader of Israel's left-wing opposition party Meretz -- Yossi Sarid -- also described Husseini as one of the "best sons" of the Palestinian people. "He was a genuine man of the people, and he was characterised by his high sense of values, his honesty, his integrity, his unwavering commitment to his people and human dimension," agreed Hanan Ashrawi, a Palestinian council member. She said Husseini was a pragmatist who consistently advocated cooperation with the Israelis in the past.

Gershon Baskin, co-director of Israel/Palestinian Centre for Research and Information (IPCRI), told CNN "his death is a great blow to those of us who believe in Israeli-Palestinian peace…Faisal has been a constant and active supporter of the work of IPCRI."

"Faisal had the ability to address the issue of Palestine in a way that did not frighten the Israelis…which is what most Palestinians cannot do," he said, adding: "The Palestinians have a desperate need for more people like Faisal and a desperate shortage of people like him."

According to Baskin, Husseini always spoke warmly about the work of the IPCRI and frequently described his vision of a peaceful Palestinian state living alongside a peaceful Israel "in cooperation and mutual prosperity."

"I had tremendous respect for Faisal. I think he was a man of courage and leadership. He did not live long enough to see his dream of a city of Jerusalem shared on peace, the capital of Israel and the capital of Palestine. One open, undivided city for all people who love Jerusalem," he said.

Baskin also said he believed Husseini was the reason why the intifada had not yet reached east Jerusalem.

"The peace process has lost a courageous leader on both sides of the camp," he said.