George Habash
A Marxist-Leninist physician who founded one of the most militant Palestinian factions, championing armed struggle and international operations.
1926–2008 (age 82)·Founder of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine·Birthday: August 1·The Greatest Generation
Biography
George Habash's journey from a medical student to a revolutionary leader was shaped by the trauma of displacement. Born in Lydda, his family was forced from their home during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, an event that radicalized him. Earning his medical degree from the American University of Beirut, he traded healing for political organizing, convinced that only a pan-Arab, socialist revolution could liberate Palestine. In 1967, he founded the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), distinguishing it with its Marxist ideology and audacious tactics. The PFLP, under his leadership, pioneered the hijacking of international airliners as a tool of propaganda and politics, most famously the multiple hijackings to Dawson's Field in 1970. While his methods were controversial and often condemned as terrorism, Habash remained an unyielding symbol of secular, ideological resistance, refusing to compromise with Israel or, later, the Oslo peace process, which he viewed as a surrender.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
George was born in 1926, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When George Was Born
The biggest hits of 1926
#1 Movie
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
George's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1926Born
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1931Started school
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1939Became a teenager
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1942Could drive
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1944Could vote
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1947Turned 21
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1956Turned 30
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1966Turned 40
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 50
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 60
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 70
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 80
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2008Died at 82
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Key Achievements
- Founded the Marxist-Leninist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) in 1967 after the Arab defeat in the Six-Day War.
- Masterminded a series of high-profile airplane hijackings in 1970, including the coordinated diversion of four planes to Dawson's Field in Jordan.
- Led the PFLP as its General Secretary for over three decades, maintaining a hardline stance against negotiations with Israel.
Did You Know?
He was a pediatrician by training and provided free medical care to Palestinian refugees early in his career.
He suffered a stroke in 1980 that partially paralyzed him, but he continued to lead the PFLP for another 20 years.
The 1970 hijackings he orchestrated led to 'Black September,' a civil war in Jordan that resulted in the PLO's expulsion from the country.
“We have to remember that the only language Israel understands is that of force.”
