Uri Davis was born Jewish in the city of Jerusalem and carries Israeli citizenship, but has spent a lifetime challenging Israel’s policies towards the Palestinians. He no longer describes himself as Jewish and is instead registered as a Muslim, and is married to a Palestinian woman. He teaches “critical Israel studies” at al-Quds, a Palestinian university on the eastern outskirts of Jerusalem, and for the past 25 years has been a member of Fatah.
Last week Davis stood for election to the 120-seat council, which is supposed to monitor the decisions of Fatah’s central committee. His membership and subsequent election showed Fatah was a “multinational movement”, he said.
“By having me as an active member of Fatah and now an active member of the Fatah congress and with my election to the revolutionary council, a participant in what is referred to as the parliament of the Fatah movement, the historical orientation of Fatah has been emphasised and re-emphasised,” he told the Guardian. It was, he said, a “great achievement”.
