Walid Khalidi, Pioneering Palestinian Scholar, Dies at 100

The historian and diplomat helped shape the intellectual foundations of the Palestinian national movement.

Mar. 12, 2026 at 10:12pm

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Walid Khalidi, a renowned scholar of Middle Eastern history and a leading figure in the Palestinian national movement, died on Sunday at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was 100 years old. Khalidi played a central role in creating the intellectual architecture of the Palestinian community, identifying their distinct history, culture and politics, and ensuring their cause remained a top priority on the Pan-Arab agenda. He was a key advisor to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and helped lay the groundwork for the two-state solution framework that formed the basis of subsequent peace negotiations.

Why it matters

Khalidi was considered the 'father of Palestinian studies,' using his deep knowledge of the region's history and politics to challenge the dominant narratives around the creation of Israel and the displacement of Palestinians. His work was instrumental in shaping the intellectual and diplomatic foundations of the Palestinian national movement during the 20th century.

The details

Khalidi grew up in Jerusalem under British rule, witnessed the creation of Israel and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, and spent much of his career in Beirut and at Harvard University. He founded the Institute for Palestine Studies in 1963, which became a hub for Palestinian scholarship and advocacy. Khalidi pushed back against the prevailing view that Arab leaders had urged Palestinians to flee their homes, and uncovered documents showing a plan by Jewish forces to expel Palestinians. He later outlined the idea of an independent but militarily constrained Palestinian state, which formed the basis for subsequent peace negotiations.

  • Khalidi was born on July 16, 1925 in Jerusalem.
  • In 1948, Khalidi and his family were forced to flee Jerusalem and settled in Beirut.
  • Khalidi founded the Institute for Palestine Studies in 1963.
  • In 1978, Khalidi published an influential article in Foreign Affairs outlining the concept of an independent but constrained Palestinian state.
  • Khalidi was a member of the Arab delegation at the 1991 Madrid Conference, which set the stage for the Oslo Accords and the Israel-Jordan peace treaty.

The players

Walid Khalidi

A renowned scholar of Middle Eastern history and a leading figure in the Palestinian national movement, considered the 'father of Palestinian studies'.

Yasser Arafat

The leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization, with whom Khalidi occasionally advised but maintained some distance.

Rashid Khalidi

An emeritus professor of history at Columbia University and a cousin of Walid Khalidi.

Ahmad Samih Khalidi

Walid Khalidi's father, a historian and the dean of the Arab College of Jerusalem.

Anbara Salam

Walid Khalidi's stepmother, a leading Lebanese writer and feminist.

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What they’re saying

“He was the first scholar to dismantle the narrative that said Israel was completely blameless in the Nakbah. He showed there was ethnic cleansing.”

— Rashid Khalidi, Emeritus professor of history at Columbia University (The New York Times)

“I'm not anyone's close adviser. I'm myself. He has asked my opinion sometimes, but I wish he had taken my advice more often.”

— Walid Khalidi (The New York Times)

What’s next

Khalidi's legacy and contributions to the Palestinian national movement are expected to be further explored and celebrated in the coming years, as his work continues to shape the intellectual and diplomatic landscape of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The takeaway

Walid Khalidi's life and scholarship were instrumental in shaping the modern Palestinian national identity and ensuring their cause remained a central focus of Middle Eastern politics. His work challenged dominant narratives, provided intellectual heft to the Palestinian movement, and laid the groundwork for decades of peace negotiations, even as a lasting resolution to the conflict remains elusive.