Jamal al-Jamal (Arabic: جمال الجمل; 1 August 1957–1 January 2014) was a Palestinian diplomat.[5] He was ambassador to the Czech Republic from 11 October 2013 until his death.

Jamal al-Jamal
(جمال الجمل)
Palestinian Ambassador to the Czech Republic
In office
11 October 2013 – 1 January 2014
Preceded byMohamed Salaymeh
Succeeded byKhaled al-Atrash[1][2]
Personal details
Born1 August 1957[3]
Sabra refugee camp, Beirut, Lebanon[4]
Died(2014-01-01)1 January 2014 (aged 56)
Prague, Czech Republic
Political partyFatah (1975–2013)

Diplomatic career

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Jamal al-Jamal was born in 1957, in Beirut's Sabra refugee camp. His family is originally from Jaffa in what is now Israel. He joined Fatah in 1975 and was appointed Deputy Ambassador to Bulgaria in 1979. Starting in 1984, he served as a diplomat in Prague, eventually as acting ambassador. Between 2005 and 2013, he functioned as consul general in Alexandria, Egypt. In October 2013, he was appointed Ambassador to the Czech Republic.[6]

Death

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According to Czech police, al-Jamal was fatally injured in an explosion that shook his official residence on New Year's Day 2014. He died several hours after being taken to the hospital, authorities said. Czech police claim that the blast was caused by an explosive device in a safe, and that it was not a preplanned attack.[7][8] Later, Czech police found illegal weapons and ammunition in the Palestinian Embassy in Prague.[9] Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kohout later said that the incident represented "a serious violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations."[10] The Mayor of Suchdol, Petr Hejl, has called for the embassy to be moved from the district.[11]

References

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  1. ^ "New Palestinian ambassador announced - PRAGUE POST | The Voice of Prague". Prague Post. 1 September 2014. Archived from the original on 13 November 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  2. ^ "Radio Prague - Khaled al-Atrash is to be the new Palestinian ambassador to the Czech Republic". Radio.cz. 18 October 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  3. ^ James Legge. "Palestinian ambassador to the Czech Republic Jamel al-Jamal killed in Prague explosion while moving safe". Independent.co.uk. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  4. ^ Safe blast kills Palestinian envoy in Prague | GazetteNet.com
  5. ^ "Blast Kills Palestinian, a Diplomat, in Prague". The New York Times. New York City. 2 January 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  6. ^ "Palestinian ambassador to the Czech Republic Jamel al-Jamal killed in Prague blast". The Independent. 1 January 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  7. ^ "Blast kills Palestinian diplomat in Prague". BBC News. 1 January 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  8. ^ "Czech probe into Palestinian diplomat's death". Al Jazeera English. 2 January 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  9. ^ "Zbraní jak pro rotu. Ale proč Palestinci zvolili Prahu? - Aktuálně.cz". Aktualne.centrum.cz. 30 November 2009. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  10. ^ "Czech FM condemns arms at Palestinian embassy". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on 8 January 2014. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  11. ^ "Prague Residents Against Palestinian Embassy After Explosion". 4 January 2014. Retrieved 8 January 2014.