Amine Gemayel
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Amine Pierre Gemayel ( ar, أمين بيار الجميٌل ; (born 22 January 1942) is a Lebanese Maronite politician who served as
President of Lebanon The President of the Lebanese Republic ( ar, رئيس الجمهورية اللبنانية, rayiys aljumhuriat allubnania; french: Président de la République Libanaise) is the head of state of Lebanon. The president is elected by the parliame ...
from 1982 to 1988. Born in Bikfaya, his father was Pierre Gemayel, the founder of the Kataeb Party. He worked as a lawyer, then was elected as a deputy for Northern Metn in 1970 by-election, following the death of his uncle,
Maurice Gemayel Maurice Gemayel ( ar, موريس الجميل; Lebanon, 1910 — October 31, 1970) was a Lebanese Maronite politician who served several times as minister and MP for the Metn. He was also a prominent figure for the Kataeb Party which was founde ...
, and once again in the 1972 general election. At the start of the
Lebanese Civil War The Lebanese Civil War ( ar, الحرب الأهلية اللبنانية, translit=Al-Ḥarb al-Ahliyyah al-Libnāniyyah) was a multifaceted armed conflict that took place from 1975 to 1990. It resulted in an estimated 120,000 fatalities a ...
, the Phalanges were a member of the Lebanese Front, allied with Syria against the leftist National Movement. However, Syria became their enemy, while they started receiving the support of Israel. This phase saw the rise of his brother, Bachir, who had disputes with Amine about the military leadership, such as uniting the Christian militias by force. In 1982, Bachir was elected to presidency, but was assassinated before taking office. Endorsed by the United States and Israel, he was elected on 23 September as the eighth president. At the age of 40 years, he was the youngest president to take office. He re-organized the Lebanese Army, receiving support from the
Multinational Force in Lebanon The Multinational Force in Lebanon (MNF) was an international peacekeeping force created in August 1982 following a 1981 U.S.-brokered ceasefire between the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel to end their involvement in the confl ...
and despite fierce internal opposition, he reached the
May 17 Agreement The May 17 Agreement of 1983 was an agreement signed between Lebanon and Israel during the Lebanese Civil War on May 17, 1983, after Israel invaded Lebanon to end cross border attacks and besieged Beirut in 1982. It called for the withdrawal of ...
with Israel in 1983, which stipulated the withdrawal of the Israeli forces and ending the state of war between the two countries, but didn't ratify it. Under his command, the army, allied with the Lebanese Forces, clashed with Jammoul, a Syrian-backed alliance led by
Walid Jumblatt Walid Kamal Jumblatt ( ar, وليد جنبلاط; born 7 August 1949) is a Lebanese Druze politician and former militia commander who has been leading the Progressive Socialist Party since 1977. While leading the Lebanese National Resistance ...
, in what is known as the Mountain War. By the end of the conflict, the government suffered heavy defeat, and lost control over wide areas of Mount Lebanon. It was followed by February 6 Intafada, where the army was expelled out of West Beirut, and disintegrated into sectarian groups. As a result of heavy pressure, and the withdrawal of the multinational forces, Gemayel visited Damascus in 1984, and formed a national unity government, including members from the opposition, headed by Rashid Karami. He cancelled the May 17 Agreement, and appointed Michel Aoun as a Commander of the Armed Forces. In 1986, he helped Samir Geagea organize a coup against the leader of the Lebanese Forces
Elie Hobeika Elie Hobeika ( ar, إيلي حبيقة; 22 September 1956 – 24 January 2002) was a Lebanese militia commander in the Lebanese Forces militia during the Lebanese Civil War and one of Bashir Gemayel's close confidants. After the murder of Gem ...
, for signing the Tripartite Accord with Berri and Jumblatt. Following the assassination of Karami, he appointed
Selim Hoss Selim Ahmed Hoss ( ar, سليم أحمد الحص; also transliterated ''Salim Al-Hoss;'' born 20 December 1929) is a veteran Lebanese politician who served as the Prime Minister of Lebanon and a longtime Member of Parliament representing his h ...
as acting Prime Minister. Right before his term expired, Gemayel dismissed the cabinet and formed a military government headed by Aoun. Aoun then declared war on Syria but was defeated in 1990, marking the end of the civil war and the implementation of the Taef Agreement. Gemayel moved to Switzerland and later France, starting a self-imposed exile. In 2000, he returned to Lebanon, and organized opposition to Syria, and the leadership of the Phalangist Party. He joined the Qornet Shehwan Gathering, and participated in the Cedar Revolution following the assassination of
Rafic Hariri Rafic Bahaa El Deen Al Hariri ( ar, رفيق بهاء الدين الحريري; 1 November 1944 – 14 February 2005) was a Lebanese business tycoon and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Lebanon from 1992 to 1998 and again from ...
. In 2006,
Pierre Gemayel Pierre Amine Gemayel, also spelled Jmayyel, Jemayyel or al-Jumayyil ( ar, بيار الجميّل; 6 November 1905 – 29 August 1984), was a Lebanese political leader. A Maronite Catholic, he is remembered as the founder of the Kataeb Part ...
, his son, who was a deputy in the parliament, was assassinated. He ran in the by-election, but lost against a Free Patriotic candidate. His other son, Samy, succeeded him as president of the Phalangist Party.


Early life and education

Gemayel descends from a
Maronite Christian Lebanese Maronite Christians ( ar, المسيحية المارونية في لبنان; syc, ܡܫܝܚܝ̈ܐ ܡܪ̈ܘܢܝܐ ܕܠܒܢܢ) are adherents of the Maronite Church in Lebanon, which is the largest Christian denomination in the country ...
family (the
Gemayel Gemayel (; ; romanized: ''al-Jumayyil'') is the name of a prominent Lebanese Maronite Christian family based in Bikfaya, Lebanon. History The family is mentioned in bureaucratic records as among the inhabitants of Bikfaya as early as the 16th c ...
s) with a long tradition in Lebanon. The
Gemayel family Gemayel (; ; romanized: ''al-Jumayyil'') is the name of a prominent Lebanese Maronite Christian family based in Bikfaya, Lebanon. History The family is mentioned in bureaucratic records as among the inhabitants of Bikfaya as early as the 16th ce ...
are originally from the northern region of Mount Lebanon. His ancestors settled in the town of Bikfayya, 25 kilometers northeast of Beirut, in the mid-16th century. Born in the Lebanese town of
Bikfaya Bikfaya ( ar, بكفيا, also spelled Bickfaya, Beckfayya, or Bekfaya) is a town in the Matn District region of Mount Lebanon. Its stone houses with red-tiled roofs resting amidst pine and oak forests make Bikfaya one of the most sought-after su ...
on 22 January 1942, Amine Gemayel is the eldest son of
Pierre Gemayel Pierre Amine Gemayel, also spelled Jmayyel, Jemayyel or al-Jumayyil ( ar, بيار الجميّل; 6 November 1905 – 29 August 1984), was a Lebanese political leader. A Maronite Catholic, he is remembered as the founder of the Kataeb Part ...
, founder of the
Kataeb The Kataeb Party ( ar, حزب الكتائب اللبنانية '), also known in English as the Phalanges, is a Christian political party in Lebanon. The party played a major role in the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990). In decline in the lat ...
Party and his wife
Genevieve Genevieve (french: link=no, Sainte Geneviève; la, Sancta Genovefa, Genoveva; 419/422 AD – 502/512 AD) is the patroness saint of Paris in the Catholic and Orthodox traditions. Her feast is on 3 January. Genevieve was born in Nanterre a ...
. He has two sisters and a brother, late
Bachir Gemayel Bachir Pierre Gemayel ( ; 10 November 1947 – 14 September 1982) was a Lebanese militia commander who led the Lebanese Forces, the military wing of the Kataeb Party in the Lebanese Civil War and was elected President of Lebanon in 1982 ...
. His grandfather was forced to leave Lebanon in the early 20th century as a result of his opposition to
the Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
and therefore, had to spend several years living in
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
. Gemayel's great uncle, Antoine, traveled to the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 as a political representative of the Maronite Christian community in Lebanon. Gemayel obtained a law degree from the St. Joseph University in Beirut in 1965.


Career

Amine Gemayel began his career after his graduation practicing as an attorney in 1965. He then concentrated on building up his family's newspaper business. In a 1970
by-election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...
, he was elected to succeed his deceased uncle,
Maurice Gemayel Maurice Gemayel ( ar, موريس الجميل; Lebanon, 1910 — October 31, 1970) was a Lebanese Maronite politician who served several times as minister and MP for the Metn. He was also a prominent figure for the Kataeb Party which was founde ...
, as a member of the National Assembly; he defeated Fuad Lahoud by a margin of 54% to 41%. In 1972, in the last election to be held for 20 years, he was reelected by a large margin. In a 1976 diplomatic cable released by
WikiLeaks WikiLeaks () is an international Nonprofit organization, non-profit organisation that published news leaks and classified media provided by anonymous Source (journalism), sources. Julian Assange, an Australian Internet activism, Internet acti ...
, a US diplomat stated "if I got nothing else from my meeting with Frangie, Chamoun and Gemayel, it is their clear, unequivocal and unmistakable belief that their principal hope for saving Christian necks is Syria. They sound like Assad is the latest incarnation of the
Crusaders The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were in ...
." While his younger brother
Bashir Bashir or Basheer or the francicized Bachir or Bechir ( ar, بشير) is a male given name. Derived from Arabic, it means "the one who brings good news". It is also a surname. Bashir may refer to: Mononym * Bashir I, Lebanese emir of the Shih ...
was regarded as a political radical, espousing the expulsion of
Palestinian Palestinians ( ar, الفلسطينيون, ; he, פָלַסְטִינִים, ) or Palestinian people ( ar, الشعب الفلسطيني, label=none, ), also referred to as Palestinian Arabs ( ar, الفلسطينيين العرب, label=non ...
guerrillas from Lebanese soil and a radical overhaul of the political system, and hinting at a possible peace settlement with Israel, Amine Gemayel was considered more moderate. Always a consensus politician, he avoided, at least in his pre-presidential years, alienating
Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
politicians as his brother had done. When Bashir Gemayel was assassinated, therefore, Amine was regarded as a natural choice to bring together both the supporters of his slain brother, and his Muslim opponents. On 21 September 1982, he was elected the president of the republic. His term in office ended on 22 September 1988 (six years as per the Lebanese Constitution). He then joined the Center for International Affairs at Harvard University as a fellow and lecturer (1988–1989). He is affiliated with the University of Maryland as a distinguished visiting professor. From 1990 to 30 July 2000, he resided in Paris as an exiled leader of the opposition, and lectured extensively on Lebanon and the Middle East in various countries worldwide. Since July 2000, he has been living in Lebanon where he pursues his political agenda.


Presidency

Gemayel never promised the Israelis anything in order to be elected president, but he promised that he would follow the path of his brother Bashir whatever that path was. He left his post in the Kataeb Party after being elected president. Once elected, he refused to meet any Israeli official. With foreign armies occupying two-thirds of the country (
Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
in the north and east, Israel in the south), and private armies independent of government control occupying most of the rest, Gemayel's government lacked any real power. His efforts to reach a peace settlement with Israel were stymied by Syria and by Muslim politicians at home. His government found itself largely unable to collect income tax, as warlords controlling the ports and major cities pocketed the tax take themselves. Many criticized Gemayel for not moving decisively enough to assert the authority of the government, but others have pointed out that with most of the country under foreign occupation, there was little that he could do. He managed to keep a semblance of constitutional order. This order began to unravel in 1988. Gemayel, whose term was due to end on 23 September, was constitutionally barred from reelection. Amine Gemayel opposed
Dany Chamoun Dany Chamoun ( ar, داني شمعون; 26 August 1934 – 21 October 1990) was a prominent Lebanese politician. A Maronite Christian, the younger son of former President Camille Chamoun and brother of Dory Chamoun, Chamoun was also a polit ...
for the presidential elections, a man known for his strong anti-Syrian views and the son of former president
Camille Chamoun Camille Nimr Chamoun OM, ONC ( ar, كميل نمر شمعون, ''Kamīl Sham'ūn''; 3 April 1900 – 7 August 1987) was a Lebanese politician who served as President of Lebanon from 1952 to 1958. He was one of the country's main Christi ...
, or General Michel Aoun, the commander of the army. Chamoun and Aoun were both unacceptable to Syria and to Muslim politicians in Lebanon. A constitutional crisis developed. Fifteen minutes before the expiry of his term, Gemayel appointed Aoun to the post of
prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
, who takes on the role of acting president if the presidency is vacant. He did so to preserve the tradition that the president, and by implication anyone acting in that role, should be a
Maronite The Maronites ( ar, الموارنة; syr, ܡܖ̈ܘܢܝܐ) are a Christian ethnoreligious group native to the Eastern Mediterranean and Levant region of the Middle East, whose members traditionally belong to the Maronite Church, with the larges ...
Christian , thereby going against the tradition of reserving the premiership for a Lebanese
Sunni Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...
Muslim. Muslim politicians and warlords refused to accept the Aoun government, instead recognizing a rival government of
Selim Hoss Selim Ahmed Hoss ( ar, سليم أحمد الحص; also transliterated ''Salim Al-Hoss;'' born 20 December 1929) is a veteran Lebanese politician who served as the Prime Minister of Lebanon and a longtime Member of Parliament representing his h ...
, whom Gemayel had dismissed in favour of Aoun. When Amine Gemayel took office, Lebanon was torn by Israel's invasion of June 1982, and its subsequent occupation of large areas of Lebanese territory. This made the withdrawal of Israeli troops a top priority on his political agenda. As head of state, he set himself three main objectives which still form the basis of his political activity today: (1) Reestablishing the independence and sovereignty of Lebanon; (2) Maintaining an effective dialogue between Lebanon's different communities and (3) Restoring and modernizing the institutions of the state. In 1984, Amine Gemayel dissolved the "Arab Deterrence Force", which provided the legal framework for Syria's military presence since 1976; and in 1985, he refused to ratify the so-called "Damascus Agreement" brokered by the Syrian government between the fending Lebanese chiefs of militias, which aimed at disintegrating any independent decision-making process in Lebanon. In 1987, he promulgated the law annulling the "Cairo Agreement" of 1969, which authorized the PLO to use Lebanon as a base for military operations against Israel, disregarding Lebanese sovereignty.


The Puma Scandal

Amine Gemayel was believed to be behind the purchase of what were supposed to be new, French-made Puma helicopters. That was in 1983. Then the planes were discovered to be used and Ukrainian-made, making them worth far less than original price (184 million francs, a rough equivalent of $80 million at the time). The deal was signed in Beirut in July of the year 1983 by Lebanese Defense Minister Issam Khoury and the “Société Francaise de Vente et Financement de Materiels Terrestres et Maritimes” (SOFRANTEM). Gemayel denied that he had any connection with the affair. According to the minutes of Parliament's session, published in the Official Gazette in 1994, Parliament held the French government responsible for the financial losses as a result of breaking the contract. Officials also held then Army Commander General Ibrahim Tannous responsible for “neglect” because an illegal military deal was sealed during his term of office. The minutes showed that Parliament also held Gemayel responsible, and that it referred the case to the state prosecutor for further investigation. This was all brought up in 2002 as part of investigations by a special parliamentary committee into former President Amin Gemayel's role in the Puma aircraft sale.


Other activities

Apart from his political activities, Amine Gemayel established, in 1976, the "INMA Foundation", which coordinates several institutions dealing with social, political and economic issues concerning Lebanon and the Middle East. He also founded "Beit-al-Mustakbal", (the house of the future), a think-tank and research center which published ''Haliyyat'', a quarterly journal edited in Arabic, French and English, comprising a chronology of the main events in the area, press reports, and a series of essays. In addition, he started a French-language daily newspaper entitled '' Le Reveil''.


Post-presidential years

Gemayel started a self-imposed exile for the next twelve years, living variously in Switzerland, France, and the United States. At first, he claimed that he was threatened by Syria, but he later published in his memoirs that Geagea threatened him with personal harm. In 1989, he joined
Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
's Center for International Affairs. He also lectured at the
University of Maryland, College Park The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of Mary ...
. On 30 July 2000, however, he returned to Lebanon and began to organize the opposition to the government of President
Émile Lahoud Émile Jamil Lahoud (born 12 January 1936) was a Lebanese politician who served as the 16th president of Lebanon from 1998 to 2007. His main foreign-policy achievement was to end the Israeli occupation of Southern Lebanon in May 2000, which was ...
, whom he regarded as a Syrian puppet. Unable to regain control of the then pro-Syrian dominated official Kataeb Party, he founded a new party, al-Qaeda al-Kataebiya, which claimed to be the true successor to the old Kataeb Party founded by his father. He also joined the
Qornet Chehwan Gathering The Qornet Shehwan Gathering ( ar, لقاء قرنة شهوان) is a Lebanese political organization, comprising politicians, intellectuals, and businesspeople, mostly Christian and ranging in ideology from the centre-right to the centre-left. ...
, a group of anti-government Christian politicians. In 2003, Amine Gemayel attempted to act as an intermediary between U.S. President
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
and the
Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
i President
Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein ( ; ar, صدام حسين, Ṣaddām Ḥusayn; 28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolution ...
. Although his efforts to forestall the ensuing
Iraq War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...
were not successful, they fuelled speculation that he might be a candidate for
Secretary General Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the organization. The term is derived ...
of the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
when
Kofi Annan Kofi Atta Annan (; 8 April 193818 August 2018) was a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh secretary-general of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006. Annan and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. He was the founder ...
's term expired. After the Cedar Revolution the Kataeb factions were united under the leadership of Gemayel. After Gemayel's son Pierre was assassinated in November 2006, Amine ran for his late son's seat. Amine lost by a small margin to an unknown candidate presented by Michel Aoun as a member of the
Free Patriotic Movement The Free Patriotic Movement ( ar, التيار الوطني الحر, ) is a Lebanese political party. Founded by Michel Aoun in 2005, the party is currently led by Aoun son-in-law Gebran Bassil since 2015. Ideology The Free Patriotic movemen ...
. In February 2008, Gemayel was appointed the president of the Phalange or Kataeb Party, replacing
Karim Pakradouni Karim Pakradouni ( ar, كريم بقرادوني hy, Քերիմ Բագրատունի) (born 18 August 1944) is a Lebanese attorney and politician of Armenians in Lebanon, Armenian origin. He was influential in Kataeb Party heading it for some p ...
, who resigned from office in 2007.


Personal life

Gemayel married Joyce Tyan in December 1967. They had a daughter, Nicole, and two sons,
Pierre Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...
and
Sami Acronyms * SAMI, ''Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange'', a closed-captioning format developed by Microsoft * Saudi Arabian Military Industries, a government-owned defence company * South African Malaria Initiative, a virtual expertise ...
. Pierre Gemayel was elected to Parliament in 2000, appointed to the Cabinet in 2005. He was assassinated by unidentified assailants in Jdeideh, a Beirut suburb, on 21 November 2006. Amine Gemayel angrily blamed Syria for the murder of his son.Gemayel murder leads to second 'Independence Intifada'
. ''Ya Libnan'', 24 November 2006. Retrieved on 22 February 2008.
He is fluent in French and English.


Publications

*1986: ''Peace and Unity'' (Colin and Smythe) *1988: ''L'Offense et le Pardon'' (Gallimard), reflections on the events in Lebanon. *1990: ''Méditations d'espoir'' (JC. Lattès), a series of lectures delivered in the United States in 1989. *1992: ''Rebuilding Lebanon's Future'', published by Harvard University (C.F.I.A.).


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gemayel, Amine 1942 births Candidates for President of Lebanon
Amine In chemistry, amines (, ) are compounds and functional groups that contain a basic nitrogen atom with a lone pair. Amines are formally derivatives of ammonia (), wherein one or more hydrogen atoms have been replaced by a substituen ...
Kataeb Party politicians Lebanese anti-communists Lebanese exiles Lebanese Maronites Living people Members of the Parliament of Lebanon People from Matn District People of the Lebanese Civil War Presidents of Lebanon Saint Joseph University alumni