Sheikh Muhammad Ali Ja'abari | |
Office: | Mayor of Hebron |
Term Start: | 1948 |
Term End: | 1976 |
Successor: | Fahd Qawasmi |
Office1: | Member of the upper chamber of the Jordanian government |
Term Start1: | 1950s |
Office2: | Member of various Jordanian cabinets |
Term Start2: | 1970s |
Term End2: | ? |
Birth Date: | 1900 |
Death Date: | 1980 |
Nationality: | Palestinian |
Relations: | Sulaiman Ja'abari (relative) |
Sheikh Muhammad Ali Ja'abari (Arabic: الشيخ محمد علي الجعبري 1900–1980) was the long-serving mayor of the Palestinian city of Hebron, appointed by Jordan, from 1948 to 1976. Ja'abari was head of the Jericho Conference in Jericho which supported the unification of the West Bank and Jordan. In the 1950s, he held a seat in the upper chamber of the Jordanian government.[1]
After Israel occupied the West Bank from Jordan in the 1967 Six-Day War, he proposed that Israel only remain in power for five years after which the Palestinians would reserve the right of self-determination. Apparently, it had been agreed with Israel that he would serve as the Prime Minister of a new Palestinian state.[2] He prominently opposed the violent nature of the fedayeen.[3] His tenure as mayor of Jordan ended on 28 March 1976, and he was succeeded by Fahd Qawasmi who was the first elected mayor of the city.[4] Throughout the 1970s, Ja'abari was member of various Jordanian cabinets.
Ja'abari died in 1980. He is related to Sulaiman Ja'abari, the former Grand Mufti of Jerusalem.