Right to Nonviolence welcomes lawyer Sharhabeel Al-Zaeem to its Board of Advisors. “This is a significant, decisive link between the Arab Spring and the Middle East nonviolent revolution”, says RN Chairman Chibli Mallat. “Sharhabeel is a model lawyer citizen in the midst of tragic daily life in Gaza. His stature, dynamism and expertise bring the spirit of the Middle East nonviolent revolution into the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict.” He shares some of his thoughts on the situation in Gaza and his belief in nonviolent resistance in an exclusive interview with RN.
Sharhabeel Al-Zaeem is the founder and senior attorney of Al-Zaeem & Associates, the most prominent law firm in Gaza, offering diverse legal services in six European languages to leading Palestinian and foreign entities. Notably, the firm has also represented more than 1,000 clients before Israeli military courts. Considered the foremost expert in commercial law in Gaza, he is recognized as an authority on arbitration, alternative dispute resolution, and protection of intellectual property. Actively involved in both social and economic development in Gaza through his service to numerous institutional boards, Mr. Al-Zaeem secured funding in 2005 from the World Bank to participate in the drafting of the Public Procurement Law for the Palestinian Authority. He served as a legal advisor to the Palestinian Delegation in the peace talks of Oslo and Cairo, work that he continues through extensive involvement with the peace process and participation in ongoing legal committees. Admitted as attorney-at-law to the Gaza Bar, he is member of both the Palestinian and American Bar Associations, and serves on the organizing committee of the select Yale Middle East Legal Studies Seminar (MELSS). Mr. Al-Zaeem holds a B.A. in Law from the University of Alexandria, a Master in Regional Studies from Al Quds-Abu Deis, and a Master in Law from Al Azhar University. He has completed a number of certificate courses at leading organizations in both the US and the UK as well as a certificate course in mediation and dispute resolution at Harvard Law School, and is currently a lecturer in law at Al Azhar University-Gaza.