Ruhi al-Khatib

Who was Ruhi al-Khatib?

Ruhi al-Khatib was the mayor of Al-Quds.

Elected in 1957, his term came to an end on 29 June 1967, when Israel dissolved the city council of East Jerusalem following its conquest of the city in the Six Day War.

In the three weeks from the day the Israeli conquest of the city until the dissolution of the city council of East Jerusalem, Al-Khatib was working to immediately reinstate the municipal services and restore the calm to the city. He even helped in dealing with sensitive issues such as the surrender of weapons held by the civilian population and the removal of squatters from the destroyed synagogues in the Jewish Quarter of the Old city of Jerusalem. His actions attracted criticisms from fellow Arabs, who accused him of collaborating with Israel. However, his dismissal made him a vocal opponent of Israel.

Al-Khatib did not recognise his dismissal and remained in Jerusalem. He continued to work as director of the Arab Hotels Company and the Jerusalem Electric Company. In March 1968 he was deported to Jordan as his presence in Jerusalem was deemed a danger to the security of Israel. He was not allowed to take anything with him.