ABD AL-QADIR AL-HUSAYNI
THE PALESTINIAN LEADER OF THE ‘ARMY OF THE HOLY WAR’ 1907-48 PALESTINE
Born in Jerusalem to an influential family, Husayni’s father once served as the mayor of the city, and was the chairman of the nationalist Palestine Arab Congress. Husayni studied chemistry in Cairo before he fought against the British during the 1936-39 Arab Revolt in Palestine. He was exiled and lived in Iraq and Egypt before he covertly returned home in 1948. From that point, he led the Palestinian Arab irregular ‘Army of the Holy War’.
Consisting of 5,000-10,000 fighters, Husayni’s force blockaded Jerusalem, and took part in operations in Lod and Ramla. The Army of the Holy War was militarily inferior to the Jewish militias, but Husayni’s own unit briefly controlled the main road between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. He was considered the most charismatic Palestinian military leader, but was killed at the Battle of al-qastal on 8 April 1948 by Haganah forces. This created a power vacuum in Palestinian irregular forces, and was a huge morale blow for his men.