Why Is Ahmad Hilmi Pasha ‘Abd al-Baqi Absent from the History of the Palestinian National Movement?

Ahmad Hilmi Pasha ‘Abd al-Baqi was one of the most prominent Palestinian personalities of the first half of the twentieth century. He was not only an eyewitness but also an active participant in the events that absorbed the Arab world during this period. In 1948, the year of the Nakba, he played an important role defending Jerusalem against Zionist attacks, particularly on the Old City. Throughout the spring, Ahmad Hilmi was the only member of the Arab Higher Committee present in the city, which led many who sought guidance and leadership to rely on him. However, most people link his name only with the short-lived All-Palestine Government in Gaza. While the Palestinian collective memory preserves an esteemed position for Mufti Hajj Amin al-Husayni in leading the national movement, Ahmad Hilmi Pasha’s role is mostly unknown to intellectuals, let alone the general Arab readership. What is behind the eclipsing of the economic, political, and military roles of one of the most prominent figures of the Palestinian elite, played over two decades of British rule and the Nakba? What is behind the neglect of the role of this man who chose Palestine as his homeland and spent most of his life defending its cause? This essay, which is based on the author’s unpublished biography of Ahmad Hilmi Pasha, makes an attempt to answer these questions that are relevant not only to past Palestinian history but also to contemporary accounts of the national leadership.