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Custodians of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre


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Family members

These are brief biographies of some prominent family members. A complete list is being compiled.

Anwar Zaki Nuseibeh | Hazem Zaki Nuseibeh | Mohammed Zaki Nuseibeh | Ahmad Nuseibeh | Mahmoud Nuseibeh | Hisham Nuseibeh | Nihad Nuseibeh | Salem Nuseibeh

Family Members' Websites
Anwar Zaki Nuseibeh: (b. 1913, d. 1986)

Anwar was born in Jerusalem and read Law at Cambridge University. He became a judge in the British administration of Palestine. During the 1948 war, Anwar fought against the Jewish terrorist groups and lost a leg. After a brief period in exile, he returned to Jerusalem, Jordan. He stood for election to Parliament and won by an overwhelming majority. He became Defence and Education Minister in the Jordanian government. In 1965, he became the Jordanian Ambassador to the Court of St. James. During his time as an ambassador in London, Anwar established a warm relationship with members of the British Royal Family. On one occasion, he was invited by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and HRH the Duke of Edinburgh to stay for a weekend as their guests at Windsor Castle. Anwar was knighted by the Queen. Anwar returned to Jerusalem and lived through the Israeli occupation. He was very firm in his talks with the Israelis about the need for a just resolution to the Palestine question, particularly the refugee question. No solution can ever be just without the return of the Palestinian refugees. In 1986, Anwar died in Jerusalem and was buried at the gates of the Noble Sanctuary. His funeral was attended by tens of thousands of people.
Anwar was married to Nuzha al-Ghossein Nuseibeh and they have four sons, Zaki, Sari, Saqer and Hatem and two daughters, Saida and Moneera.

Hazem Zaki Nuseibeh: (b. 1922)

Hazem was born in Jerusalem and read Political Science at the American University of Beirut, graduating with a B.A. He became a broadcaster and chief news editor in the radio of British Palestine. In 1954, he obtained a Ph.D in Political Science from Princeton University in the United States. Upon his return to Jerusalem, Jordan, he held various government posts. During the brief union between Jordan and Iraq, he was appointed undersecretary of Foreign affairs in the government of the united Arab Hashemite Kingdom. The brutal coup d'etat of 1958 happened just days before Hazem was supposed to take up his government role in the united government in Baghdad. Later, Hazem assumed various cabinet positions in the Jordanian government, including Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and Minister of the Royal Court as well as other portfolios. Hazem also became Jordanian ambassador to Cairo, Rome, Ankara and Jordan's permanent representative at the United Nations in New York. During his time at the UN, Jordan became member of the Security Council. He was appointed to the Jordanian Senate in 1985. Hazem is the author of a number of important books. These include Palestine and the United Nations, The World and Us, History of Modern Jordan and the classic text on Arab nationalism, Ideas of Arab Nationalism.
Hazem is married to Mrs Qadar Masri Nuseibeh and they have two sons, Haitham and Khaled, and two daughters, Laila and Lina.

Mohammed Zaki Nuseibeh: (b. 1937)

Mohammed was born in Jerusalem and read Civil Engineering at Sheffield University. He subsequently became the director of engineering works of the West Bank in the Arab Legion (Jordanian army). He left the army before the 1967 war but offered active support for the army during the 1967 war. The family home in Jerusalem, where Mohammed and his family now live, was deliberately bombed by Napalm bombs by the Israelis during the war and was completely burnt down. In the 1970's, Mohammed built the first Arab new neighbourhood in the West Bank since the Israeli occupation. Home to 2,500 people, the Nuseibeh neighbourhood in north Jerusalem is still the only new Arab housing project built since 1967. In 1986 he was appointed to the Supreme Islamic Council in Jerusalem. In that year he was appointed to the Higher Waqf Council of the West Bank. In 1990, he became Vice-Chancellor of the College of Science and Technology and in 1993, announced the founding of the Al-Quds University in Jerusalem, Jerusalem's first Arab University. In 1993 Mohammed announced the founding of the first Palestinian Faculty of Medicine as part of Al-Quds. Mohammed became Chancellor of the Al-Quds University in 1994. In 1993, Mohammed was also elected Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Islamic Council. He became acting chairman of the council in 1997. Mohammed is a keen supporter of sports and Jerusalem clubs have named the Jerusalem Table Tennis Tournament after him. Mohammed presented the trophies to winners of the 1st tournament held in 2002.
Mohammed is married to Mrs Faida Qutob Nuseibeh and they have three sons, Ghanem, Samer and Zaki and one daughter, Dana.
Nuseibeh, General (ret.) Ahmad Zaki:(b. 1928)

Ahmad was born in Jerusalem. During the 1948 war, Ahmad fought with the Arab forces defending parts of Jerusalem. He was qualified as a general practitioner in the UK from Sheffield University and later was specialised in paediatrics. Upon his graduation in 1959, he joined the Jordanian army. He was promoted through the army ranks until becoming General. He retired from the army and opened his own medical centre in Abu Dhabi. He now lives in London, Amman and Abu Dhabi. He is married to Mrs Norma Asfour Nuseibeh and have one son, Bashar and three daughters: Rania, Bana and Rawan.

Nuseibeh, Mahmoud Zaki: (b 1924, d 1998)

Mahmoud was born in Jerusalem. In 1948, he fought with the Arab forces against the Jewish terrorist groups, defending Jerusalem and its environs. He was educated in the United States and received a degree in economics. He became a lecturer at Baghdad University before working as economic advisor in Kuwait and Jordan. He died in Jerusalem in 1998. He was married to Mrs Yassera Nashashibi Nuseibeh and they have two sons, Hareth and Bilal and two daughters.

Nuseibeh, Hisham Zaki: (b.1926, d. 2004)

Hisham was born in Jerusalem and was educated in the United States receiving a degree in Architecture from the University of California. He was unable to return to Jerusalem during the 1948 war and remained in the US. In 1956, he returned to Jordan and took-up a senior advisory post to a government agency. After the 1967 war, he owned his private architecture practice. He was married to Najwa Husseini and had three sons, Said, Walid and Tareq and a daughter.

Nuseibeh, Major-General (ret.) Nihad: (b.1926, d. 2001)

Nihad was born in Jerusalem. He completed his military education in Syria. He became involved with the PLO and was appointed the Chief of Staff in the Palestine Liberation Army until 1979. From then until his death, he was military advisor to Yasser Arafat.

Nuseibeh, Salim: (b.1946)

Salim was born in Jerusalem. After the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Jerusalem of 1967, he became involved in the national struggle against the occupation. He was imprisoned by the Israeli forces in 1968 and released as a prisoner exchange after 17 years. He now lives and works in Jerusalem.

Other active family members in Jerusalem include Wajeeh Nuseibeh who represents the family as the Custodian of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Zaki Hassan Nuseibeh who is a journalist and Sari Nuseibeh who was appointed as Acting President of Al Quds University.

Family Members' Homepages

  • Nuseibeh, Bashar (b.1967). www.nuseibeh.com

  • Nuseibeh, Said. www.studiosaid.com

  • Nuseibeh, Ghanem. www.nuseibeh.org/ghanem/

  • This website was last updated on 9th August 2004.
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