Habis Majali
Habis Majali | |
---|---|
Field Marshal | |
Commands held | Arab Legion Jordanian Armed Forces |
Battles/wars |
|
Relations | Hazza' Majali (cousin) |
Habis Majali (
Born in
Majali is considered to be Jordan's greatest military commander; he was the only
Life and career
Majali joined Jordan's Arab Legion in 1932, soon impressing Glubb Pasha. Although he acquired modern skills, Majali maintained his Bedouin élan. King Hussein's biographer, James Lunt, dubbed Majali the grand seigneur of Karak and beau sabreur of the army.[4]
Habis
Majali claimed that he had caught Ariel Sharon in the battle, who was then a young Lieutenant. Sharon, who would later become Israeli prime minister, denied the claim. However, Habis boasted: "Sharon is like a grizzly bear, I captured him for 9 days, I healed his wounds and released him due to his insignificance." Few fellow high-ranking Jordanian officers testified in favour of his account.[4]
It was Majali who was commander of the Royal Guard when
King Hussein found Majali valuable after he was responsible for tracking down his Nasserite enemies during the upheavals of the 1950s. Majali was tasked in 1960 with restoring order after Syrian agents had murdered his cousin Prime Minister Hazza' Majali.[4]
Jordan lost the West Bank to Israel during the 1967
Majali was appointed as Chief of Staff of the army in 1970, to supervise the expulsion of Palestinian fedayeen (guerrillas) from Jordan during what became known as Black September.[2]
On the
During the last 20 years of his life, he resigned from the army and served as Senator in the
Honour
Foreign honour
- Malaysia : Honorary Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (1965)[8]
References
- ISBN 9780950612218.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Field Marshal Habes al-Majali, 87, Military Leader in Jordan". The New York Times. 25 April 2001. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
- ^ a b "Field Marshal Habis al-Majali". The Telegraph. 1 May 2001. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
- ^ a b c d e "Habes al-Majali". The Guardian. 27 April 2001. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
- ^ "فارس من بداوة الأردن .. حابس المجالي". وكالة عمون الاخبارية. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
- ^ "حابس المجالي". المعرفة (in Arabic). Retrieved 2021-02-06.
- ^ "Only four have the Field Marshal rank in Jordan". Saheh Khabarak (in Arabic). 23 February 2017. Archived from the original on 15 May 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
- ^ "Senarai Penuh Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 1965" (PDF).