Rashid Khalidi

Rashid Khalidi
Thomas Good · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Name	Rashid Khalidi
Birth date	1948
Birth place	Beirut
Nationality	Palestine
Occupation	Historian; author
Alma mater	Eton College; St John's College, Oxford; Columbia University
Known for	Scholarship on Palestinian nationalism; commentary on Middle East conflict

Rashid Khalidi is a Palestinian-American historian and public intellectual known for his scholarship on Palestinian nationalism, Arab–Israeli conflict, and the modern history of Lebanon and Palestine. He has held academic posts at Columbia University, contributed to debates involving United Nations resolutions, and engaged with media outlets and policy forums concerning Israel–Palestine relations and Middle East politics.

Early life and education

Born in Beirut in 1948 into a family with ties to Nazareth and Jerusalem, he grew up amid postwar transformations affecting Jordan and Lebanon during the era of Mandate for Palestine. His early schooling included Eton College and St John's College, Oxford, followed by graduate studies at Columbia University where he completed a Ph.D. His doctoral work addressed themes connected to Ottoman Empire legacies, British Mandate for Palestine, and the emergence of Arab nationalism in the mid-20th century.

Academic career and positions

He served as a faculty member at Columbia University in the Department of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies and later in the Department of History, directing the university's program in International and Public Affairs and leading the Middle East Institute at Columbia. His academic appointments have included visiting positions and fellowships at institutions such as St Antony's College, Oxford, the Institute for Advanced Study, and the American University of Beirut. He has lectured at universities including Harvard University, University of Chicago, Princeton University, Yale University, and Georgetown University, and participated in seminars at Brookings Institution, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and the Council on Foreign Relations.

Scholarship and major works

His major books examine the political history of Palestine, the impact of European imperialism in the Levant, and the developments of Arab political movements. Notable works include studies on Palestinian identity, analyses of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, and accounts of diplomatic episodes involving Britain, France, and the Ottoman Empire. He has published in journals such as International Journal of Middle East Studies, Journal of Palestine Studies, and Foreign Affairs, and contributed chapters to volumes from publishers associated with Princeton University Press, Cambridge University Press, and Oxford University Press. His scholarship engages archival materials from repositories like the British National Archives, the Public Record Office, the U.S. National Archives, and regional archives in Jerusalem, Cairo, and Beirut.

Political activism and public commentary

Alongside academic work, he has been an active commentator in outlets including The New York Times, The Guardian, Le Monde, and Al Jazeera, and has appeared on broadcast platforms such as BBC, CNN, and PBS. He has addressed legislative bodies and policy forums including hearings in the United States Congress and meetings at the United Nations General Assembly. He has participated in civil society networks and advocacy organizations concerned with Palestinian statehood, refugee rights, and negotiations involving Oslo Accords participants, and has engaged with figures from Palestine Liberation Organization, Fatah, and diplomatic representatives from Egypt, Jordan, and United States administrations.

Controversies and criticisms

His public positions and past political affiliations have provoked debate among scholars, policymakers, and commentators. Critics have scrutinized his assessments of Israel's policies, his readings of the 1948 and 1967 conflicts, and his interactions with organizations and activists tied to Palestinian causes. He has been involved in disputes over impartiality in academic settings, was the subject of controversy following nomination to a diplomatic post during the Barack Obama administration, and faced critiques in media outlets including The Washington Post and The New Republic. Defenders cite his archival research and peer-reviewed publications published by presses such as Harvard University Press and Columbia University Press.

Awards and honors

He has received fellowships and awards including grants from the Guggenheim Foundation, fellowships at the Institute for Advanced Study, and recognition from academic associations such as the Middle East Studies Association and the American Historical Association. His books have been shortlisted for prizes administered by publishers and learned societies, and he has been honored with lectureships and endowed chairs at universities like Columbia University and guest professorships at American University of Beirut and University of Oxford.

Category:Historians of the Middle East Category:Columbia University faculty Category:Palestinian historians Category:1948 births Category:Living people