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Perhaps the most resounding testament to Dr. Abdel Shafi's life and works is that they need neither introduction nor embellishment. Like the man himself, Dr. Abdel Shafi's acts of compassion -- as a physician, a humanitarian, a beloved leader -- stood apart but never aloof.
At Madrid, the 1991 conference that heralded a new era of negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis, he was the voice of a nation, acknowledging his American and European hosts, for they had "dared to stir up hopes" -- and warning them that these hopes could not now be abandoned.
"We do not stand before you as supplicants," he said. "Therein lies the strength of the Palestinian people today, for we have scaled the walls of fear and reticence and we wish to speak out with the courage and dignity that our narrative and history deserve."
His public statements, though soft-spoken, were always principled. Standing by his words two years earlier, it was Dr. Abdel Shafi who, in 1993, stepped down as chief Palestinian negotiator, protesting the spare dividends of the so-called Oslo peace process. That he then spared no criticism of the Palestinian Authority only boosted his credibility among his people.
Still, he was no contrarian. Instead, Dr. Abdel Shafi made national unity his imperative. Of Madrid, and the negotiations it launched, he allowed, even celebrated, that "some of our people harbor serious doubts and skepticism about this process."
To Dr. Abdel Shafi, such internal dissent called for pause and thoughtful dialogue, not confrontation: "Within our democratic, social, and political structures, we have evolved a respect for pluralism and diversity, and we shall guard the opposition's right to differ within the parameters of mutual respect and national unity."
For Palestinians in the Occupied Territories and beyond, these were, of course, prescient words. May they inspire all of us who care about Palestine and its people to work together, to muster unity across barriers real and imagined, and to honor this late leader among leaders, Dr. Haidar Abdel Shafi.
Dr. Abdel Shafi was a member of the Board of Trustees at United Palestinian Appeal. In honor of Dr. Abdel Shafi's work as a physician, contributions in his name will benefit the UPA mobile clinics campaign.
