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Jean Obeid

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Jean Obeid
Obeid in 1988
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants
In office
17 April 2003 – 26 October 2004
Prime MinisterRafik Hariri
Preceded byMahmoud Hammoud
Succeeded byMahmoud Hammoud
Personal details
Born(1939-05-08)8 May 1939
Alma, Lebanon, France
Died8 February 2021(2021-02-08) (aged 81)
Beirut, Lebanon
NationalityLebanese
SpouseLoubna Boustany
Children5
Alma materSaint Joseph University

Jean Obeid (Arabic: جان عبيد; 8 May 1939 – 8 February 2021) was a Lebanese lawyer, journalist and politician, who served in different cabinet posts, the last of which was foreign minister of Lebanon from 2003 to 2004.

Early life and education

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Obeid hailed from a Maronite family.[1] He was born in Alma, a village in the Zgharta district, on 8 May 1939.[2][3]

Obeid obtained a degree in law from the Saint Joseph University in Beirut.[4]

Career

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Obeid was a journalist by profession.[5] He held several high-level positions in various newspapers and magazines. He worked for Lisan Al Hal in 1960 and for the Assayad magazine and Al Anwar daily from 1966.[4]

Obeid was an advisor on Arab affairs to two former Lebanese Presidents, Elias Sarkis (1978-1982) and Amin Gemayel (1983-1987).[2] Gemayel also appointed him special envoy to Syria.[6][7] On 11 February 1987, Obeid met with Parliament Speaker Hussein Husseini and was kidnapped by nine gunmen in west Beirut.[8][9] Obeid was freed unhurt after four days.[10]

Obeid served as a member of the parliament, representing Chouf from 1991 to 1992 and Tripoli from 1992 to 2005.[1] He served as minister of state in the cabinet led by Prime Minister Rafik Hariri between 1993 and 1995.[4][11] Then he was the minister of national education, youth and sports from 1996 to 1998.[4][12] He was appointed to the same post in 2000.[4]

On 17 April 2003, Obeid was appointed foreign minister in a reshuffle to the last cabinet of Hariri, replacing Mahmoud Hammoud in the post.[13][14] Obeid's tenure ended in 2004, and he was succeeded by Mahmoud Hammoud as foreign minister.[2][14] In 2008, Obeid ran for the presidential elections and was considered to be possible consensus candidate.[2] He was also a candidate for President of Lebanon and participated in the 2014 Lebanese presidential election.[15]

In May 2018, Obeid returned to the Lebanese parliament by winning the Maronite seat for the constituency of Tripoli.[15][16]

Personal life and death

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Obeid was married to Emile Boustany's daughter, Loubna,[17] and had five children.[4] He was also the maternal uncle of the economist Jihad Azour.

On the morning of 8 February 2021, the National News Agency (NNA) announced that Obeid had died due to complications from COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon.[16][18]

References

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  1. ^ a b Nassif Maraoun. "Six candidates and one satisfactory seat. All of them extra-judicial". Tayyar. Archived from the original on 16 April 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d "Meet Lebanon's leading presidential candidates". Ya Libnan. 24 September 2007. Archived from the original on 11 June 2009. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
  3. ^ Joseph A. Kechichian (23 September 2007). "The wait for a leader". Ya Libnan. Archived from the original on 20 May 2008. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Who's Who in Lebanon 2007-2008 (19th ed.). Beirut: Publitec Publications. 2007. p. 274. doi:10.1515/9783110945904.328. ISBN 9783110945904.
  5. ^ "FPM PM: Salam plans to form a cabinet of ghosts". Ya Libnan. 12 April 2013. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  6. ^ Eric J. Schmertz; Natalie Datlof; Alexej Ugrinsky, eds. (1997). President Reagan and the world. Westport, CT; London: Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 53. ISBN 978-0-313-30115-5.
  7. ^ Alan Copps (6 April 1984). "Lebanese, Syrian leaders to hold summit meeting". Observer Reporter. Beirut. IP. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  8. ^ "Gemayel adviser taken captive in west Beirut". The Pittsburgh Press. 12 February 1987. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  9. ^ "Gemayel Adviser Reported Kidnaped in Beirut". Los Angeles Times. Beirut. 13 February 1987. Retrieved 1 April 2013.
  10. ^ Rima Salameh (16 February 1987). "Druse chief says Waite being held by Shiites". Schenectady Gazette. Beirut. AP. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  11. ^ Dalal Saoud (7 November 1996). "Lebanon PM forms a new Cabinet". United Press International. Beirut. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  12. ^ "Hariri forms new government in Lebanon". Asia Africa Intelligence Wire. 17 April 2003. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  13. ^ "Lebanon's new Cabinet: Members list, observations". Lebanonwire. 18 April 2003. Archived from the original on 20 January 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
  14. ^ a b Rola el Husseini (2012). Pax Syriana: Elite Politics in Postwar Lebanon. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press. p. 250. ISBN 978-0-8156-3304-4.
  15. ^ a b "MP Jean Obeid Dies after Covid Diagnosis". MSN. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  16. ^ a b "Jean Obeid dies, phased lockdown lifting, calls for Slim murder probe: Everything you need to know this Monday". L'Orient Today. 8 February 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  17. ^ "Relations by marriage within the political class:-Reconciliations, Alliances and Hostilities". Monthly Magazine. 10 December 2015. Archived from the original on 8 February 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  18. ^ "Jean Obeid Just Passed Away At 82 Years Old". The NNA. 8 February 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
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Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants
17 April 2003 – 26 October 2004 		Succeeded by
Mahmoud Hammoud
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