Hatim Kanaaneh

Dr. Hatim Kanaaneh, was born in the Palestinian village of Arrabeh at the height of the Palestinians’ first nationwide intifada (1936-39.) Kanaaneh left Arrabeh in 1960 to study in the United States, earning degrees in medicine and public health from Harvard University. After returning home, he headed the Galilee region’s governmental health office, while continuing to reside in his ancestral village. His attempts to make a significant contribution to his community’s wellbeing were blocked by the Israeli government. After the 1976 Land Day events he  worked with colleagues to establish a non-governmental organization, The Galilee Society for Health Research and Services, and to lead its efforts as one of the first NGOs in the Palestinian community in Israel. Kanaaneh's civil society efforts are documented in his previous book, A Doctor in Galilee: The Life and Struggle of a Palestinian in Israel (Pluto Press, 2008).