Nabil Amr | |
---|---|
Information Minister of the Palestinian National Authority | |
In office April 2003 – October 2003 | |
Personal details | |
Born | 1947 (age 76–77) |
Nationality | Palestinian |
Profession | politician |
Nabil Amr (Arabic: نبيل عمرو; born 1947) is a former information minister (2003) in the Palestinian National Authority, and previous ambassador to the USSR and Egypt.[1] He was an outspoken, fierce, longtime critic of Yasser Arafat, including regarding Arafat's wrecking the peace talks and his failure to make a counter-offer at the 2000 Camp David Summit.[2][3][4][5][6][7]
Amr spearheaded calls for anti-corruption democratic reforms to the Palestinian Authority that Yasir Arafat was reluctant to make.[8][9] Amr complained often about corruption and cronyism in Arafat's administration.[10]
In September 2002, after Amr called for reform of the Palestinian Authority, Arafat had the chief of his special forces fire a number of warning shots at Amr's home.[11]
In July 2004 Amr was shot twice in his right leg, through the window of his house in Ramallah, by pro-Arafat gunmen, enraging his clan, which denounced the PA for failing to find the attackers.[12][8] His shooting took place minutes after he returned to his home from a television interview on a popular political talk show, in which he criticised Arafat’s performance as president.[8][13] Amr said the attack on him was intended to stifle him from calling for reforms in the Palestinian Authority.[14]
Amr's right leg was amputated from the knee down.[6]
He later lived in his hometown of Dura, southwest of Hebron.[15]