Institute for Palestine Studies

Biography | On May 2nd, 1996, the Palestinian communist leader Emile Habibi passed away. A prominent Arab writer and novelist, Habibi's writings were inspired by Arab heritage and folktales. His 1974 novel The Secret Life of Saeed: The Pessoptimist is frequently listed as one of the greatest Arab novels ever written and has been translated into numerous languages. Habibi was buried in Haifa as he requested in his will, with the words "I remain in Haifa" inscribed on his headstone.