Naif Havatme Jordanian radical political activist. Date of Birth: . Country: Jordan

1. Early Life and Activism
2. Underground Resistance
3. Anti-Government Forces
4. Exile and Imprisonment
5. Leadership in Southern Yemen
6. Founding the PFLP and DFLP
7. "Black September" and Peace Proposals
8. Post-Beirut Withdrawal and Resistance to Oslo
9. Present

Early Life and Activism

Naif Hawatmeh, a Jordanian radical political figure, was born in Jordan between 1935 and 1938. A member of a Greek Orthodox Bedouin tribe, he studied at Al-Hussein Secondary School in Amman before pursuing medicine at Cairo University. During his university years, he joined the Arab Nationalist Movement (ANM). Upon graduating, he briefly taught and worked as a journalist in Jordan.

Underground Resistance

In the early 1950s, Hawatmeh became a leader of the ANM in Jordan and the West Bank. When the movement faced persecution by Jordanian authorities in 1959, he went underground and was sentenced to death in absentia. He fled to Tripoli, Northern Lebanon, via Damascus.

Anti-Government Forces

In Lebanon, Hawatmeh supported anti-government forces opposing the pro-American stance of President Camille Chamoun. He was instrumental in forming the National Front, which included former Lebanese Prime Minister Rashid Karami, the ANM, and the Ba'ath Party. Lebanon's ensuing civil war resulted in a change of government, which adopted a "positive neutrality" policy and forced the withdrawal of American troops.

Exile and Imprisonment

In 1958, Hawatmeh moved to Baghdad and headed the Iraqi branch of the ANM until 1963. He was imprisoned for 14 months for opposing President Abdul Kassem but was released after a coup led by the Ba'ath Party and General Aref. However, he was soon rearrested for publications in his newspaper "Al-Wahdah" and deported to Egypt and then Lebanon.

Leadership in Southern Yemen

From 1963 to 1967, Hawatmeh led the ANM in Southern Yemen, where he participated in the movement for independence from British rule. He wrote "The Crisis of the South Yemen Revolution," outlining a new revolutionary program amidst ideological conflicts within the National Front of South Yemen.

Founding the PFLP and DFLP

In 1967, Hawatmeh returned to Jordan and co-founded the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), where he led the leftist wing. Since the establishment of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) in 1969, he has been its continuous leader.

"Black September" and Peace Proposals

In September 1970, the Jordanian government attempted to expel Palestinian organizations, triggering a 10-month conflict known as "Black September." Hawatmeh was targeted for capture "dead or alive." In 1973, he proposed a "Transitional National Program" advocating for a two-state solution in Palestine under UN Resolution 242 and reconciliation with Israel. He attempted dialogue with Israeli ultra-leftist groups such as "Matzpen."

Post-Beirut Withdrawal and Resistance to Oslo

After the withdrawal of Palestinian militant organizations from Beirut in 1982, Hawatmeh played a central role in defending the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and brokering an agreement between Fatah and the Rejectionist Front. He opposed the Oslo Accords signed by Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin, deeming them a betrayal. However, he later reconciled with the accords in the late 1990s.

Present

Hawatmeh currently resides in Syria, where the DFLP enjoys support. He remains an influential figure in the Palestinian political landscape, advocating for the rights and self-determination of the Palestinian people.